14. Satva, Tamo and Rajo Gunas

Most of us believe that we are the cause of all our actions and masters of our destiny. In the Gita, Lord Krishna says that interaction between Gunas (properties/characters) creates Karma, but not due to any Karta. Three Gunas are born out of Prakriti (mother nature) and bind the soul with the physical body.  The three Gunas; Satva , Rajo and Tamas are present in each of us in different proportions. Satva Guna is the attachment to knowledge; Rajo Guna is the attachment to action and Tamas leads to ignorance and heedlessness.  Just as the combination of Electrons, Protons and Neutrons produce materials with a wide range of properties, the combination of the three gunas is responsible for our nature and actions. One of the Gunas tends to dominate over others in each one of us. In fact, interaction among people is nothing but interactions between the Gunas of the individuals.  A magnetic dipole placed in an electro magnetic field rotates along the field. Objects get attracted in a gravitational field. There are so many such physical and chemical properties. Similarly karma happens not due to any kartha but due to gunas. Lord Krishna points out the inbuilt automaticity in the physical world. Even our own physical body operates fairly automatically. While the analogy appears to present a tidy framework to explain the relationship between Gunas and Karma, ‘realisation’ of this truth and the transition is possible when own experiences sink in.  The main obstacle in this path of realisation is Ahankaar. Our domestication makes us believe that we are the Karta, giving rise to Ahankaar. But in reality, the interaction of these Gunas creates Karma.  Lord Krishna says that this responsibility of self-improvement falls squarely on our own shoulders and none other can make this happen.