The 3 Qualities of life - Tri Guna (Bhagavad Gita Chap. 14)

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Material nature consists of the three modes--goodness, passion and ignorance. When the living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these modes.O sinless one, the mode of goodness being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode develop knowledge, but they become conditioned by the concept of happiness.The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kunti, and because of this one is bound to material fruitive activities.O son of Bharata, the mode of ignorance causes the delusion of all living entities. The result of this mode is madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.The mode of goodness conditions one to happiness, passion conditions him to the fruits of action, and ignorance to

madness.Sometimes the mode of passion becomes prominent, defeating the mode of goodness, O son of Bharata. And sometimes the mode of goodness defeats passion, and at other times the mode of ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy.The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.O chief of the Bharatas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion, the symptoms of great attachment, uncontrollable desire, hankering, and intense endeavor develop.O son of Kuru, when there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, madness, illusion, inertia and darkness are manifested.When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets.When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when he dies in the mode of ignorance, he

takes birth in the animal kingdom.By acting in the mode of goodness, one becomes purified. Works done in the mode of passion result in distress, and actions performed in the mode of ignorance result in foolishness.From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance, foolishness, madness and illusion develop.Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.When you see that there is nothing beyond these modes of nature in all activities and that the Supreme Lord is transcendental to all these modes, then you can know My spiritual nature.Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.