The Gunas and Human Behavior, aka Varna
“According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me.” Bg. 4.13:
The Vedas are unique among the scriptures of the world in that they present detailed analysis and understanding of human psychology with the gunas. The gunas explain the vast variety of behaviors observed in humans, from the worst psychopath to the greatest of saints. Indeed, every social science can employ the gunas to great effect, as I have done with economics in my book “Lessons in Spiritual Economics from the Bhagavad-gita,” explaining varieties of economic behavior as determined by sattva, rajas or tamas.
The concepts of the gunas are not difficult, but they require some study and commitment to memory in order to employ them efficiently. For the present purposes I will give a basic introduction and explanation, leading to their application to four types of people according to their nature and activities, i.e., their varna. Our objective for this immediate discussion is to discuss varna and its significance in the organization of the material aspect of a proper human society and spiritual culture.
Becoming Infected by the Gunas
In the last post I presented the basic qualities of the gunas – Sattva as uplifting consciousness, Rajas as impelling one to fruitive activity and gain, and Tamas which covers the consciousness and increases illusion. But how do we become so conditioned?
The answer to that is that personal behavior, and every other aspect of this material world, is connected with the gunas. By coming into contact with that aspect of material energy, we are subtly influenced, and by repeated, and especially habitual, contact, we become conditioned.
It is important to note that the gunas act as both cause and effect. A simple, and easily understood example of this, is the consumption of alcohol. There are many millions of people who consume an occasional glass of wine, and, aside from becoming mildly inebriated for several hours, there appears to be no lasting influence, except , perhaps being inclined to having another occasional glass of wine. On the other hand, there are many who do not, or cannot, control the amount of wine (substitute meth or heroine in the pictures below) they consume, leading to addiction to the point of destroying their lives. The cause of this conditioning is the consumption of alcohol, and the effect is the consumption of alcohol. Comparatively, for example, the early morning hours are sattvic. One who habitually rises early becomes conditioned to rising early. The cause is rising early, and the effect is early rising. Similarly, engaging in actions of rajo-guna leads to further actions in rajo-guna, etc.
The transformation of the predominant gunas from rajas to tamas is observed in the faces of the first two drug addicts, while the girl at the bottom has left tamas and is in rajas and sattva.
The various aspects of material nature and their respective gunas are summarized here:
Foods
Rajarsic foods: too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.
Food not eaten within 3 hours of preparation, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness. (Flesh foods. Anything with a face)
Sattvic foods increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.
Drinks
Rajarsic drinks are stimulating: coffee, caffeinated drinks, etc.
Tamasic drinks are alcoholic & intoxicating beverages
Sattvic drinks include water, milk, fruit juices.
Time of Day
Rajas is predominant from approximately 10am-6pm
Tamas is active from approximately 6pm-2am
Sattva is predominant approximately from 2am-10am.
Knowledge
Knowledge in rajas is that by which a different type of living entity is seen in every different body.
Knowledge in tamas is that by which one is attached to one kind of work as the all in all, without knowledge of the truth, and which is very meager.
Knowledge whereby one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all living entities, though they are divided into innumerable forms is of the nature of sattva.
Action
Action performed with great effort by one seeking to gratify his desires, and enacted from a sense of false ego, is of the nature of rajas.
Action performed in illusion, in disregard of scriptural injunctions, and without concern for future bondage or for violence or distress caused to others, is of the nature of tamas.
Regulated and performed without attachment, without love or hatred, and without desire for fruitive results, is of the nature of sattva.
Understanding
That understanding which cannot distinguish between religion and irreligion, between action that should be done and action that should not be done, is in the mode of passion.
That understanding which considers irreligion to be religion and religion to be irreligion, under the spell of illusion and darkness, and strives always in the wrong direction, is in the mode of ignorance.
That understanding by which one knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, is in the mode of goodness.
Determination
That determination by which one holds fast to fruitive results in religion, economic development and sense gratification is of the nature of passion.
That determination which cannot go beyond dreaming, fearfulness, lamentation, moroseness and illusion - such unintelligent determination, is in the mode of darkness.
That determination which is unbreakable, which is sustained with steadfastness by yoga practice, and which thus controls the activities of the mind, life and senses is determination in the mode of goodness.
Happiness
That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects, and which appears like nectar at first, but poison at the end, is said to be of the nature of passion.
And that happiness which is blind to self-realization, which is delusion from beginning to end, and which arises from sleep, laziness and illusion, is said to be of the nature of ignorance.
That which in the beginning may be just like poison, but at the end is just like nectar, and which awakens one to self-realization, is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.
Worker
The worker who is attached to work and the fruits of work, desiring to enjoy those fruits, and who is greedy, always envious, impure, and moved by joy and sorrow, is said to be in the mode of passion.
The worker who is always engaged in work against the injunctions of the scripture, who is materialistic, obstinate, cheating and expert in insulting others, and who is lazy, always morose and procrastinating is said to be a worker in the mode of ignorance.
One who performs his duty without association with the modes of material nature, without false ego, with great determination and enthusiasm, and without wavering in success or failure is said to be a worker in the mode of goodness.
As we engage in these various ways of thinking and behavior we become conditioned by, or habituated to, these ways, with the ever present possibility of going further down and becoming entangled in tamas, or lifting ourselves up toward the freedom of sattva. To be clear, whatever is done in any of the gunas brings that quality to every aspect of a person’s life. Because we are integrated beings every one of our behaviors affects every aspect of our thinking, understanding, work, etc.
One other aspect of the gunas that must be pointed out is that this is a “zero-sum game,” which is to say that the totality of their influence always equals 100%. As a consequence, when the influence of one rises, the influence of one or both of the others will fall. That is, as we increasingly engage in tamasic activities, say staying out late, getting intoxicated, and perhaps engaging in illicit sexual behaviors, we may become irresponsible at work, increasingly cheat, become self-centered, etc., as the influence of rajas and sattva are diminished. Similarly for the other gunas. By determined effort one can become more sattvic, giving up attachment to the lower gunas.
Rajas and tamas are the predominant modes of our modern industrial-materialistic-capitalist society. The wholesomeness of society characteristic of sattva, that was so prevalent in my youth in the 1950s, is now only a distant memory, as the President of the U.S. brazenly degrades society with the distribution of crack pipes, and as sexual perversion and promiscuity is unabashedly promoted by government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control. This increase of tamo-guna heralds the destruction and collapse of society, and there are unlimited current examples of this. In coming posts I will present such examples as a counterpoint to the concept and functioning of a spiritual culture I am promoting here. First, however, let’s continue our explanation of how the gunas influence human behavior.
The Varnas
It is the gunas that predominantly determine a person’s nature, and this is made clear by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita, where He explains that the varnas are of His own creation. Bg. 4.13: “According to the three modes of material nature [gunas] and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me.”
It is the influence of the gunas that brings about the qualities of the varnas. Those predominantly in sattva, whose intelligence is clear, being free from the deluding qualities of rajas and tamas, are able to give proper direction to society for both material protection and spiritual progress. These are the brahmanas. The dispassionate nature of sattva allows them to be impartial guides and advisors to the ksatriyas, or kingly administrators.
However, the activating energy of rajas is required for the ksatriyas to deal with the administration of society-- to see that all of the social elements necessary for progressive material welfare are nicely arranged and working smoothly.
That rajas requires to be tempered with a modicum of tamas for those engaged in organizing productive activities. Thus, the vaisyas have a nature of mixed rajas and tamas.
And finally the energies of those who are carrying out the work of society require further dampening in order for them to be peaceful in performing their particular duties. Thus the sudras are proportionately further influenced by tamas.
In the 18th chapter of the Gita Lord Krishna explains the qualities of each of the varnas, as well as the type of work they are naturally inclined to do:
Brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras are distinguished by the qualities born of their own natures in accordance with the material modes.
Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness - these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work.
Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the ksatriyas.
Farming, cow protection and organization of productive activities are the natural work for the vaisyas, and for the sudras there is labor and service to others.
Men of each of these four types of nature are found in every culture and every society. By their own nature they are inclined towards these various types of work, and by this arrangement of the Lord all of the needs of human society are provided through their combined efforts in which each man can be satisfied by the nature of his work.
There is a great deal more to discuss about both the gunas and each of the varnas. Remember that the goal of the current discussion is to get to discussing how the material aspects of a proper human society should be dealt with. With this background information and description of the varnas, we are almost there. Perhaps only one or two more posts dealing with varnas are necessary.
Rest assured, there is a better way to live.