# The Three Modes of Nature *On sattva, rajas, and tamas - how the modes bind us and how to rise above them* --- ### Three Ropes Binding the Soul > Guṇa means the three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And guṇa, another, means rope. Just like strong rope, three, three ropes. You take three ropes and wind it, it becomes very strong. That is also guṇa-mayī. So Kṛṣṇa advised, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, guṇa, quality, is there. Now you act according to the quality. Don't be idle. — [[spoken/1974/740404bg.bom|Bhagavad-gītā 4.15, Bombay, 1974]] --- ### The Three Qualities Mixed Like Colors > These eighty-one, again if you multiply eighty-one by eighty-one, then it becomes huge quantity. So in this way these qualities are mixed up, colors. Just like three color, blue, red and yellow. You mix and you produce multi-colors. If you are expert in color mixing... All these picture, whatever you are seeing, there are only three colors—blue, red and yellow—and you mix, varieties of color. — [[spoken/1968/681026le.mon|Lecture, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Goodness, Passion, and Ignorance > Even you are on the platform of goodness, the other two qualities may disturb you. Because it is the kingdom of māyā, or material nature, these things are very prominent. Sometimes goodness is prominent, sometimes ignorance is prominent, sometimes passion is prominent. In this way sometimes they are mixed up. — [[spoken/1968/681026le.mon|Lecture, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Where the Modes Take Us > Those who are acting in the modes of goodness, they are being elevated to higher standard of life. Those who are acting in the modes of passion, they'll remain in the same position as they are now, and those acting in the modes of ignorance, darkness, without any knowledge, they are being degraded in lower grades of life. This is material world. — [[spoken/1968/681213bg.la|Bhagavad-gītā 2.44-46, Los Angeles, 1968]] --- ### Rise Above Even Goodness > But Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna that either goodness or passion or ignorance, after all, they are activities of this material world. You have to come above, transcend this position of goodness also. So goodness is not qualification for spiritual advancement, but it is helping. If a man is very good man, then it is helping to spiritual life. But that is not the cause. — [[spoken/1968/681213bg.la|Bhagavad-gītā 2.44-46, Los Angeles, 1968]] --- ### The Body Reflects the Mode > Because we are associating with certain quality of material nature. There are three qualities of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. So one of them I must associate, one of them. So if we associate with sattva-guṇa, we will get a different type of body. If we associate with rajo-guṇa, then we get a different type of body. If we associate with the tamo-guṇa, then we have to get a different type of body. — [[spoken/1974/740718sb.nv|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17, New Vṛndāvana, 1974]] --- ### Ignorance Is Like Sleep > Similarly, our this state of consciousness, material consciousness, is on the sleeping state, in the darkness of sleeping state. We do not know. We do not know what is my identity. We do not know wherefrom we have come in this place, where we have to go. Neither they have any information whether there is life after death. Very gross understanding, just like animals. — [[spoken/1969/690503le.bos|Lecture, Boston, 1969]] --- ### Living in a Temple Is Transcendental > So this goodness, passion and ignorance, the division. And how to nirguṇa? When you live in a temple of Kṛṣṇa, that is nirguṇa. That is transcendental. So if you live in a society like this, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are nirguṇa. You are above the qualities. It is far better than to live in the forest or in the city. — [[spoken/1966/661222cc.ny|Caitanya-caritāmṛta Lecture, New York, 1966]] --- ### Declaration of War > Always remember that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a sort of declaration of war with this illusory material nature. So there is war. She will always try to get you fall down. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā. It is very strong, powerful. How you can save yourself? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you persistently simply adhere to the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, there will be no more strength of this illusory nature to drag you. — [[spoken/1966/661222cc.ny|Caitanya-caritāmṛta Lecture, New York, 1966]] --- ### Directly to the Spiritual Platform > Here the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this chanting, is directly offering spiritual life. Even one is not in goodness, even one is in the darkest part of the quality of ignorance, still, he can be immediately elevated to the spiritual platform, which is recommended by Kṛṣṇa, that you have come to the platform above the modes of goodness. — [[spoken/1968/681213bg.la|Bhagavad-gītā 2.44-46, Los Angeles, 1968]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on the three modes of material nature* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]