The Gunas
The Gunas
The Gunas: Tendencies — Past, Present & Future
Spiritual Origins of Character
Each of us has a unique constellation of personality and character traits that consistently influence our behaviors across time and situations. In this section, you’ll explore the spiritual origins of traits and tendencies, learn how they’re actualized within you, and how you can evolve them to higher states of consciousness.
Personality and character can be notoriously resistant to change, especially for adults, who may be carrying around years of behavioral conditionings and indelibly ingrained tendencies. But by harnessing the power of the subtle energy system through meditation, Sahaja can improve our all-too-human personality and character traits
The spiritual origins of traits and tendencies have been traced through a body of knowledge that has existed since ancient times. In Sahaja philosophy, human tendencies, behaviors and characteristics are broadly classified into three groups (or Gunas, in Sanskrit).
These tendencies, and the characteristics associated with them, play a crucial role in the evolution, over time, of personality and character. They provide the natural forces within us that lead to various behaviors. At the same time, self-awareness and attention grants us the ability to introspect and understand these tendencies within ourselves and, ultimately, to improve or overcome them. This is, essentially, the process of human character evolution.
In effect, the evolutionary process is a test of human freedom, will, and desire to improve.
We are always free to succumb to baser instincts, forces and tendencies within us and fall into that self-damaging downward spiral. But, by the same token, we are also always free to make good choices and fight against self-defeating forces and traits that would drag us down.
Strengthening the ability to resist negative tendencies through meditation allows us to move upward on the evolutionary spiral.
In reality, however, we exhibit a mixture of all three tendencies at all times and the tendency that dominates us the most consistently is the one that primarily governs our personality traits, character traits and behaviors. Personality and character evolution is a progression, a “work in progress” where the overall effect or may tend towards Tamasic, Rajasic or Saatvik at any given point in time.
Saatvik
Saatvik or Sattwa is characterized by balanced, present-focused, spirituality and self-improvement-focused tendencies
Saatvik tendencies help us maintain a sense of balance, allowing us to constantly adjust our traits and behaviors whenever the balance swings towards extremes, or when either of the other two tendencies are dominant. Saatvik tendencies grant us the power of seeking, or the ability to aspire to and achieve the higher reaches of spiritual evolution. When we’re dominated by Tamasic or Rajasic tendencies, there’s little room for us to focus on seeking and achieving higher states. The Saatvik tendencies also strengthen our moral compass, deepening our intuitive sense of right and wrong and further evolving our character strengths.
Rajas
Rajas means ‘vibrancy’
Rajasic is characterized by action-oriented, aggressive and futuristic tendencies
On the positive side, Rajasic tendencies drive action, dynamism, planning and thinking. But on the negative side, they can push us to extremes, making us aggressive, dominating and excessively futuristic (i.e., focusing too much on the future, rather than on the present). In very extreme cases, Rajasic tendencies can lead to violent behavior.
Excessive Rajasic tendencies also typically cause us to constantly question the status quo — often unnecessarily, because we are primarily being driven by strong egoistic tendencies. Needless, unjustified rebellion, attempts to discard or diminish any sense of right or wrong, and defiant or oppositional attitudes (such as “Nothing can ever be wrong” or “So what?”) for most any event originate from these tendencies. Dominant Rajasic tendencies may also cause us to become superficial, artificial, mechanical, insensitive, unempathetic or even devoid of feelings such as love, affection and compassion. People with such tendencies also typically are dominating and aggressive and may go to any lengths to impose themselves or their ideas on others.
The tendency to over-analyze and over-think is also typical of dominant Rajasic tendencies. Spontaneity is largely absent. These individuals tend to find less enjoyment in their family lives, relationships, and activities that would normally bring them joy.
Tamas
Tamasic is characterized by dwelling in the past: regressive, relaxing, lethargic, nostalgic tendencies
People dominated by Tamasic tendencies are typically lethargic, dull, low-activity people who are dwelling in the past and more emotional and moody than usual. On the positive side, however, they can also be the calming influence in some situations, and, in general, may exhibit stronger bonds of love and affection — in fact, possibly too strong for their own good and the good of others. They are not serious-minded individuals and cannot be counted upon for dynamism and acting to achieve important goals; for example, dreamers who achieve very little are typically dominated by Tamasic tendencies. They are also easily dominated by others. But on the positive side, they are also the ones who tend to be more heavily engaged in family life.