What are Gunas?

There are only three ways you can deal with Sansar.

1. Tamas – wanting something from Sansar.
2. ⁠Rajas – Giving something to Sansar, but expecting something in return.
3. ⁠Tapas – Giving something but not expecting anything in return from Sansar.

Tamas is the lowest, Sansar is the giver, and you are the receiver. It doesn’t matter what you want – objects, people, situations. “Sansar owes me something” attitude.

Rajas is where you give what you have and expect a return. Some examples are – doing your job, providing through your profession, etc.

Tapas is when you have reached a state where you give something to the world but expect no returns, such as helping a blind man cross a road.

We all live in these three gunas at one time or another, toggling among them.

They all require the mind and the Sansar.

But there is one state where there is no mind left and neither is Sansar: the state of neutrality, where one is connected with infinity, a Sthitpragnya state.

And that state (which in fact is your true self) is called Gunatit state (beyond Gunas).

Gunatit is where absolute peace resides.

The first step is understanding the meaning of the Gunas—Tamas, Rajas, and Tapas.

But until you understand them, in the context of your day-to-day life, their full potential will not manifest.

For example, Tamas means expecting and being dependent on something from the Sansar.

Now, this can include vast categories.

Being dependent on a spouse, for example, for every little mundane thing, is it expecting? Yes.

And what would it take to eliminate that?

Self-sufficiency.

Being self-sufficient in your household life (as much as possible) may seem trivial, but it is a small exercise of vigilance that can help you grow spiritually.

How?

The spiritual path is a path that needs to be traveled only by and for the self; others are excluded.

At some point, everything must be dropped, including the knowledge from scriptures and your Guru.

That’s when a self-sufficient nature will play a significant role.

Tamas also means rejoicing in worldly pleasures and becoming dependent on them.

Freeing one’s senses from such activities can open one’s spiritual path within.

Tamas is also taking various relationships for granted (expecting others to keep bringing pleasure for you).

By being vigilant of all such ( and many more ) aspects of life ( along with regular meditation ), one can start receding from the world ( mentally ) and slowly develop the self-within.

These three gunas have a hierarchy: Tamas is the lowest, Rajas is the middle, and Tapas is the highest. Believe it or not, all three are in all of us.

Our every action is guided by one of these gunas at a time.

The idea is to realize that, by making changes in your life, you can transcend Tamas, become self-sufficient, and gather enough spiritual strength to rise to the next higher guna – Rajas.

Rajas is where you are ready to work for others, but expecting rewards for it.

Nothing is wrong with it.

The US is a prime example for this: rise above the Tamas, work hard, play right, and ascend in life to Rajas.

So, when a Tamasic person becomes Rajasic, he sublimates his within and changes his tendencies, but he is the same person, with a changed inner state.

Transcendence of Gunas in life happens by understanding, reflecting on them, contemplating, and weaving the learned wisdom in the carpet of life; merely wishing is not enough, on the contrary, a hindrance.