Three Modes of Conviction
- Those who sacrifice, endowed with faith but abandoning scriptural injunctions, what is their status, O Krishna, is it sattva or rajas or tamas?The Blessed Lord said
- The faith of the body-bearers is of three kinds, born of their nature, which is sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic; do hear thereof.
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Everyone’s faith develops according to his mind’s essence, O Descendant of Bharata. Thus the person consists of faith. Whatever one’s faith that indeed is he.
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The
sattvic ones sacrifice to deities; the rajasic ones to demi-gods and
powerful semi-human beings (yakshas and rakshasas); others, the
tamasic ones, sacrifice to ghosts and to multitudes of other beings.
In this chapter Arjuna asks Sri Krishna to
describe the various modes of shraddha. The word shraddha means
conviction. The devotee reveres the objects of his devotion with
full conviction and faith. Human beings can be divided into three
categories according to the predominance of sattva, rajas, or tamas.
Arjuna wants to know which quality is dominant in those who have
shraddha yet do not accept the teachings of the sages and the
authority of the scriptures. Sri Krishna replies that the tendency of
one guna or another to be predominant is a result of the samskaras
that one carries from the past. In spiritual people the sattva guna
is predominant; those who are active are motivated by rajas; and
those who are inert, lazy and dull are under the sway of tamas.
The type of faith a human being has is in
accordance with this natural disposition. The aspirant who has the
sattva quality predominant in his life performs religious rites
according to the teachings of the scriptures. One who performs
religious rites under the sway of rajas worships the gods with the
desire to fulfill his selfish ends. The tamasic person also has
faith, but he engages in superstitious worship. That class of people
does not make efforts. Those of a sattvic nature devote their time
and energy to doing good, whereas rajasic people remain active in
fulfilling their desires, and those who are tamasic do not do
anything, for although they have expectations and desires they remain
dependent on others.
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Those
people who undertake terrible ascetic practices, which are not
enjoined by the scriptures, conjoined with hypocrisy and ego,
possessed of the power of attachment,
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Those
unwise ones, weakening the group of elements in the body and also
Me, who dwells within the body-know them to be of demonic
determination.
Those who
are influenced by tamas are full of sloth and inertia and always
depend on others whom they expect to fulfill their desires. When they
do engage in practices, those practices are distorted and reflect
their obstinate natures. They sometimes practice severe penances that
are contrary to the injunctions of the scriptures. For example, many
such aspirants fast for several days to remove their mental blocks.
They think that fasting will purify both their minds and bodies. They
are obstinate and capriciously make up their own way of sadhana and
suffer as a result. They are neither self-reliant nor do they rely on
the teachings of the scriptures. They create suffering for themselves
and for others. Such aspirants do not improve and are not fit to
follow the path of spirituality.
The
aspirant should create a balance in his day-to-day activities. When
one leans to observe his capacities and abilities, he does not go to
extremes. But the student who torments his body, mind and soul is not
suitable to the path of spirituality.
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The
favorite food of everyone is also of three kinds; so also sacrifice,
ascetic endeavor, and charity. Listen to their distinctions.
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Those
that increase life span, mental essence, strength, health, comfort,
and pleasantness, that are flavorful, unctuous, stable, and
satisfying to the heart are the foods that are favored by the
sattvic.
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Bitter,
sour, salty, excessively hot, pungent, dry and burning are the foods
favored by the rajasic, causing discomfort, depression, and illness.
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Not
fully cooked, flavorless, smelly, stale, leftover by others, not
fit, as an offering is the food favored by the tamasic.
When one
analyzes the behavior of aspirants, three distinct qualities are
noticeable in their actions, even when they offer gifts and charity.
Those who are sincerely generous and love others do charity without
any expectation, but those who perform actions selfishly and do
charity with the expectation of acquiring name and fame are rajasic
and tamasic people.
We all
know that food plays great part in human life. The best selling of
all books are not bibles or other spiritual books but cook books. Our
eating habits in the modern world both in the East and in the West
create disasters in human life. The human
being is obsessed with food; so much so that it seems that one is
born only for eating. Modern man eats many times a day without
knowing what comprises a nutritious diet. Taste has become
predominant instead of nutrition in the formation of our dietary
habits. Artificial foods are increasing daily. We have lost the sense
of food value, and we eat foods that are unhealthy.
Food that
is not fresh or unnutritious, that is leftover and full of spices or
grease is unhealthy. Overeating and eating unfresh food and food that
is full of fat and spices create many diseases. The
mind and body are inseparable; if proper food
is not supplied to the body, the mind is affected. Such tamasic food
makes the mind dull, passive, and inert.
On the
other hand, rajasic food agitates the mind and creates hypertension;
it is also unhealthy for the liver and hard on the kidneys. Rajasic
food satisfies the senses, but it is not healthy physically or
mentally. It is not healthy for those who want to tread the path of
spirituality. Aspirants are advised that well-selected and
well-prepared vegetarian food is healthier than a meat diet. That
food which does not cause inertia and heaviness and does not make one
restless, lazy, or sleepy is called sattiv food. Those who eat
sattvic food remain calm, quiet, and serene; those who eat rajasic
food become agitated, angry, and worried; those who eat impure food
and drink liquor are tamasic. Those who eat heavy food full of aft
and who drink alcohol excessively suffer both physically and
mentally.
Food plays an important role in thought, speech
and action: it has profound effects on all aspects of human behavior.
Diet and environment are two important factors that play a great role
in sadhana. A calm, quiet, and serene atmosphere and a simple, fresh,
and nutritious diet are essential requisites for the sadhaka.
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That sacrifice performed according to scriptural injunctions by those not desirous of fruit, harmonizing the mind with the thought, ‘one must sacrifice,’ that is the sattvic sacrifice.
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With
the intention of fruit or even of hypocritical purpose, the
sacrifice that is performed thus, know it to be rajasic, O Best of
the Bharatas.
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Against
scriptural injunction, without distributing food, without mantras,
without priestly gifts, devoid of faith, such sacrifice is said to
be tamasic.
(What is
Sacrifice) Sri Krishna explains that sacrifices performed in a serene
way with even mindedness and without any expectation of reward are
sattvic. When one performs an action for the sake of others and
dedicates the fruits to others without any desire for rewards, that
action it true worship. Sacrifice means offering the best one has for the service of the Lord who dwells in everyone’s heart. It is an offering to the
Lord through action. Such an act performed selflessly is of a sattvic
nature, and the scriptures describe such acts as supreme. By
contrast, the sacrifices and actions that are performed with the
desire to obtain a reward are rajasic, and those that are performed
out of superstition and fear of spiritual injunction, without a sense
of giving or any consideration for others, are tamasic.
Many people in modern society have not developed an attitude of giving to and doing for others in a sincere way. Such people are often seen in psychotherapy. They are self-preoccupied and continually focus on their own trials tribulations, worries, disappointments, and expectations. Rather than attempting to resolve their self-created conflicts one by one, if the therapist instead directs such people to turn away from their self-preoccupations and to develop a genuine concern for others, devoting their thoughts and energy to helping others, many of their problems would quickly dissolve and disappear. Such people have never been taught how to give, and if they offer anything, it is not with a deep and sincere feeling of love but to receive in return. Modern therapists would do well to actively guide the thoughts and feelings of their clients toward giving to others rather than passively listening to and reflecting on the drone of their clients’ self-preoccupations week after week, year after year.
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Service
to the deities, the twice born, the gurus, and the wise men; purity
simplicity, celibacy, and non-violence are said to be physical
asceticism.
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Speech
that does not agitate, that is true, pleasant, and beneficial, as
well as the practice of self-study and japa is said to be the
asceticism of speech.
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Clarity and pleasantness of mind, peacefulness, silence, total control of one’s self, purification of sentiments-this is said to be mental asceticism.
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Those
three kinds of asceticism undertaken by humans with supreme faith
when they are not desiring the fruit and are joined in yoga are said
to be the sattvic ones.
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With
the purpose of gaining respect, honor, and worship and out of
hypocrisy, the asceticism that is thus performed, temporary and
unstable, is rajasic.
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The
asceticism that is performed with stupefied comprehension and with
pain or for the purpose of uprooting others, that is said to be
tamasic.
Many people waste their time speaking nonsense,
talking too much, and gossiping for no useful reason In the first
stage of practice one should learn to speak little, speaking only
when it is necessary. In the second step he should establish regular
hours of complete silence very day, and in the third step he should
determine not to lie. Austere speech is a great virtue.
The
practice of non-lying is also important. Those who speak lies are
afraid and lie because of fear of not being accepted. But the power
of speech is lost when one lies, and there is always a conflict in
the mind, for one knows that he lying, yet he continues to lie. Such
people lose the power of discrimination.
Austerities are not introduced in the modern educational system. That is one of the reasons modern man becomes selfish and has no consideration for his fellow human beings. The kind of austerities that are introduced to children in religious schools are worse than none at all, for they create guilt, which haunts the child’s inner being until the last breath of life. The system of introducing
austerity is based on fear, and the religion that teaches fear can
never help one on the path to liberation. Religious schools suffer as a result of that serious error. They create guilt by introducing many “don’ts” without explaining their purpose or helping children appreciate the profound positive effects that self-restraint can have on the mind and body. Those who seriously pursue athletics, music and other endeavors learn to practice austerities by sacrificing pleasures for their single goal. But such austerities are rajasic in nature. Sattvic austerity is seldom taught in modern life.
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‘One ought to give’-the charity that is given thus to someone incapable of returning the favor, that is given at the right place and time toward someone worthy-that charity is remembered as sattvic.
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That
which is given with the purpose of gaining a return or aiming at a
fruit or given with distress-that charity is remembered as rajasic.
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That
which is given at an inappropriate place or time to those unworthy,
without respect and insultingly that charity is said to be tamasic.
These
three verses explain the purpose of charity and why
one should be charitable. When is charity
useful and necessary in human life? Foe one who has attained
knowledge, doing charitable work and giving gifts to others becomes
habitual. It is a superb taste that one acquires after understanding
that giving is one of the most profound ways to attain liberation. No
human being can remain without doing actions, and every action
produces fruits. If the fruits are not given to others, their binding
force compels one to do more actions. Thus the doer becomes lost in
the jungle of action. One should learn to do his actions and give
away fruits to others. The aspirant who is aware that charity or
giving gifts to those in need is a part of spirituality is called a
sattvika.
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OM Tat Sat, ‘OM, that is Reality’-this is the threefold statement concerning Brahman; from this the Brahmanas, the Vedas, and the sacrifices were produced in the ancient past.
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Therefore all the sacrifices, charities, and ascetic acts of those proficient in the knowledge of Brahman, performed according to the ordinance, are commenced daily after enunciating ‘OM’ thus.
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After enunciating Tat, ‘that,’ without the intention of fruit, the sacrificial and ascetic acts, and the various acts of charity are performed by those desiring liberation.
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The word Sat, ‘Reality,’ is used to express Reality as well as goodness. Also the word ‘sat’ is used to express a praiseworthy act, O Son of Pritha.
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Stability
in sacrifice, asceticism, and charity is also called Sat; also any
act for the purpose of these is called Sat alone.
Whenever
they perform any duties or actions, worship, or give gifts, they
remember three words: OM Tat Sat. These three words have deep
meaning.
OM is the
cosmic sound remembered by yogis during meditation. It is considered
to be a living force that represents the supreme Lord. There are four
states that can be realized by human beings. The first three-waking,
dreaming, and sleeping-are experienced by all human beings and
creatures. But the fourth state is attained only by the fortunate few
accomplished yogis. It is a silent state, the deepest and most
profound state of perfect equilibrium. The sound OM expresses the
knowledge of these four states of consciousness. The aspirant learns
to utter this sound all the time, before he talks to anyone and
before he begins any work.
Good
action is also called Tat Sat.
It is auspicious for the sadhaka to remember the words Tat Sat, for
they remind him of the goal of his life. The word Tat means that
which exists in itself without the help of any other, and Sat means
the absolute reality other than which nothing exists. The words Tat
and Sat remind the aspirant of the self-existent glory of the Lord
and of his benevolent kindness and goodness. Thus OM Tat Sat refers
to all that exists by itself without any second. These words are used
by devotees, sages, and yogis for the supreme Lord.
Here ends the seventeenth
chapter in which love and devotion for the divine is contrasted with
lust for the objects of the world.