Spiritual Musings - 5 - Gunas of Nature

After all the introspections and realizations of past few months (https://www.astrosaxena.com/Musing1, https://www.astrosaxena.com/Musing2,  https://www.astrosaxena.com/Musing3, https://www.astrosaxena.com/Musing4 )I have reached to some intellectual conclusions in recent times, which are as follows –

• Everything is Energy. EVERYTHING around us and we ourselves are manifestation of same energy.
• Same Energy can be called as Consciousness, Existence or God etc.
• Everything in this Existence is happening through this Energy.

Then where is the problem?

Problem is in the conditioning of a consciousness. As discussed before, when a child takes birth, he takes birth as pure consciousness and without any conditioning. Then we start telling child about his caste/religion/country/priorities of life/goals of life and what is good or bad? It is here he loses the pure consciousness and becomes conditioned or ego-consciousness. So, although child is born with pure consciousness but he is unaware of that pure consciousness. Hence, he ends up in losing it. It is just like you are unaware of a Diamond Jewelry inside your suitcase and you give away the suitcase to another person. So, we can lose pure consciousness only when we are unaware of it.

Now, the thing is that when consciousness is unaffected by any conditioning, then the whole energy is accumulated or collected as one.

But the moment we condition the consciousness of a child and convert into a conditioned mind, the energy breaks into 3 parts; i.e. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. As we know that Tamas is Destructive Force, Rajas is Creative Force and Sattva is Sustaining/Balancing Force. So, energy which was one at consciousness level, it got split into 3 directions once it crossed through a conditioned mind. Just like a Sunray splits into 7 different colors the moment it passes through a Prism, we can say conditioned human mind is that Prizm which splits the Energy into 3 parts; i.e. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

Here, we can say that Consciousness or Energy is Purush and Conditioned Human Mind is Prakruti or Nature. Prakruti/Mind/Nature can function as per these 3 Gunas; i.e. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. It means that as our mind can see only 3 types of events can be possible in this world. Either there can be some creation (Rajas) or there can be some sustenance/balance (Sattva) or there can be some destruction (Tamas).

Simplest example can be when we get up in morning; it is Rajas/Creation, when we go through the day; it is Sattva/Sustenance, when we sleep in night; it is Tamas/Destruction. Birth is Rajas, Life is Sattva and Death is Tamas. Same thing we can see in the word GOD where G is for Generator/Rajas, O is for Organizer/Sattva and D is for Destroyer/Tamas. Trinity of Gods is also showing the same thing where Lord Brahma is Creator/Rajas, Lord Vishnu is Sustainer/Sattva and Lord Shiva is Destroyer/Tamas.

Basic thing is that Nature/Prakruti/Mind cannot function without these 3 Gunas. But we have to keep in mind that from where these 3 Gunas are coming. Initially, they were pure energy or pure conscious which crossed through a conditioned mind and split into these 3 parts. So, if we see deeply then strength behind these 3 Gunas is also coming from pure energy or pure consciousness.

But in Prakruti/Nature/Mind, these 3 Gunas take an apparent role and as pure energy gets split into 3 parts, it becomes invisible or takes a backseat. That’s why; we say that why God is invisible? Well, Mind can see only 3 Gunas. Hence, it can’t see the invisible force of energy behind these 3 Gunas but if we just go deep into finding as to how any event of creation/sustenance/destruction happened in our lives then we will find pure energy working behind.

At best, we can look at other individual who performed some action of the nature of creation/sustenance/destruction. Hence, we feel that he is the doer. He acted in certain way to bring such an event. Obviously, when we say so and recognize others as the doer then others will also return the favor and call us as the doer. And no matter how subtly but it satisfies the ego of man that he is the doer.

Then we get into this type of argument that “if I hadn’t done this work then how it would have happened”? Well, just reflect back that if you are really the one who is doer then you wanted to do many things in your life. Why you couldn’t do all those activities? Who stopped or prevented you from achieving those goals?

Only thing which happens is that in some very few moments, desires of human mind are in alignment with the existential plan. Hence, the energy supported those desires as they were anyways going to manifest but human mind thought that I did it. Ego gets the boost.

So, there are basically two perspectives of looking at every action or event in life; i.e. either from perspective of pure Consciousness/Energy/Purush or from the perspective of Mind/Prakruti. Any action which we feel that we have done, is actually just permitted by pure consciousness then only we could do it. But as we see ourselves doing it, so it takes the shape of Ego that we are the Doer. We forget that we tried to actively perform many tasks in our life but we couldn’t perform many of those tasks. So, we are actually not the Doer.

Does it mean to say that all Crimes/Violence/Wars are also done by Consciousness/Energy/Purush?

Even Consciousness/Energy/Purush is not the Doer. In this existence, none is Doer. Everything and Everyone is Autonomous. Understand Consciousness/Energy/Purush as just a receptive or permitting energy. It is like X person wants to commit crime, Consciousness/Energy/Purush says “as you wish” and Y person wants to stop that crime, Consciousness/Energy/Purush again says “as you wish”.

As always, Energy is Neutral and it can be utilized either ways. So, it depends on Mind/Prakruti that how someone is utilizing energy through 3 Gunas but Energy’s presence is necessary. Without its presence, nothing can happen. It is like a Catalytic Agent. Catalytic Agent doesn’t do anything but nothing can ever function or take place without the presence of Catalytic Agent. So, Consciousness/Energy/Purush/God is that Catalytic Agent.

So, if we are living at Mind or Prakruti level, we will be engaged in one or the other activity/thought of any of the 3 Gunas and we will feel that event or action or thought from the perspective of Mind or Prakruti level.

But if we are living at Consciousness/Energy/Purush level then we will just observe or witness the event or action from far without any involvement or attachment with the event.

The concept we are discussing here can be easily understood through attached picture where Bigger or Outer Circle is the whole Existence or Consciousness or Energy or Purush. For explaining purpose, I mentioned it in a circle or within some boundaries but in reality, there can’t be any boundaries or limitations to the whole Existence or Consciousness or Energy or Purush. It is pervading all over.

Smaller or Inner Circle is the World in which we live normally. It would be better to say that inner circle is the Mind or Nature or Prakruti. It works within the limitations of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas Guna. Mind cannot understand anything as a whole altogether. Mind needs to divide things into parts then only it can understand.

Now, most important thing that life which we are living in our Mind or Inner Circle is also within Outer Circle. Inner Circle is not outside Outer Circle. It means that this Mind or this Physical/Materialistic existence which we are living is also under the Bigger Circle. It is just that illusion of Gunas or Mind is so strong that we can’t experience Energy or Consciousness when we are living in mind. But it doesn’t matter whether we can experience it or not or whether Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush is visible or not, it is still there howsoever subtly.

If at all Mind/Prakruti or these Gunas are functioning then they are able to function on the basis of Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush only. It is just that we can experience Gunas in Prakruti/Mind, so we can understand them only. All we need to do is to just look deep into every event or action or even thoughts in our lives and then we will realize the presence of ever-pervading Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush.

The balancing point of Rajas and Tamas Guna is Sattva Guna. Balancing point of all 3 Gunas is the centre of triangle; i.e. God or Trigunateet. But if we see closely then that God or Trigunateet is ever-present or ever-pervading in whole existence. Once we reach there, we re-gain the Pure Consciousness which we lost in our childhood due to conditioning of society. The biggest difference will be that this time we will be aware of our pure consciousness and none can take it away from us now through any kind of conditioning or any other action.

Now again, can we say that a person, who is committing any crime, is actually innocent as it is actually energy which is allowing the crime to take place?

Main thing is that a person who is committing a crime is not at all focused at Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush. He is living in his mind, completely oblivious of any concept of God. If for a moment, he becomes aware of Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush, he won’t be able to go ahead with his plan of crime. As I said, energy is there just to say “as you wish” and as a catalytic agent. So, the responsibility of any action lies with the person himself as long as he is living in mind. But when a person takes action in Pure Conscious state then that action can never be wrong.

So, as long as we are living in Mind/Prakruti, the responsibility lies with us as we are not taking actions keeping any Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush. Whenever we start working at Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush level, responsibility is at Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush only.

Finally, what will happen if everyone is at Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush level? How will Universe function if none is working with 3 Gunas?

That will never happen. In this whole existence, we all are standing at different steps of ladder. There will always be people like me, who are at lowest rung of ladder of consciousness, who are not going to understand anything I wrote here and there will always be people like Osho who are at Energy/Consciousness/God/Purush level.

Hope this makes sense. Thanks, 

SPB