Present is reality and Leave the Past freely without Hesitation

The Doctrine of Karma(DOK) acts as a psychological and moral thermostat. Even if the linkages do not become clear in many cases and memory connections may not be found or seen, the existence of the phenomenon cannot be denied. It is just like -if there is smoke, there must be fire. So if there is effect, there must be a cause, even if we cannot connect it. The Doctrine of Karma is linkage of past to present and the present to future. Past is gone, we have no control, so endure the effect. But the present is reality. So we must act for the effect in future. Thus constant self-check on our present karma can only help. Each type of guna create its characteristic thought pattern, e.g. Sattwa of patience and compassion, Rajas of greed and pride, Tamas of anger and indolence. These thought patterns create respective subtle impressions, which accumulate in our psyche. Given an appropriate stimulus, these stockpiles are ignited which manifest themselves in outward action. Each such action taken under the impulse of particular latent impressions, further reinforces those very impressions. 

click here to know about the doctrine of karma

click here to know about satwa,rajas and tamas

Thus, the 'guna-impression-karma' cycle goes on repeating itself. The tendencies of a rajaso-tamasic mind, for instance, will go on reinforcing the stockpile of wrong conditionings-samskaras. Their invisible power will prevent improved behaviour or action, inspite of the best of intellectual learning. 

With DOK inspiring us to perform more ethical acts, the non-ethical latent samskaras will gradually be subdued. Steady striving towards more of Sattwa will create a more ample niche for purer samskaras or latent tendencies. And with better quality samskaras, more wholesome behaviour should follow, and the Sattwa Guna should be reinforced. Thus whatever had been past acts and effects we should forget them because we have no control on them. It is our present acts and deeds, which we can improve upon and make concerted effort to rectify them, regardless to what others around are doing. 

Thus the need is to focus on individuals, personal conduct which is within one's own control or ZOD(Zone of Discretion). Let our intellectual predisposition not shun the practical merit of controlled fear via DOK in improving the purity of our mind, and its ethicality. 

Doctrine of Karma

We all are well versed with Law of conservation of Energy. According to this law the sum total of energy in this Universe is constant. It only changes from one form to another i.e. from light to heat or electricity etc. In the same fashion in the moral world, the Law of conservation of Moral Energy prevails. Every act good or' bad has its energy level that is never lost. It may remain stored for a shorter or longer period, but at some point of time it emerges and gets activated. Thus no act of ours, morally right or wrong gets lost. This principle if understood, can help us keep ourselves on track. We may understand it properly through the following components: 

1. A cause at present must produce an effect in future.

2. An effect at present must have had a cause in the past.

3. The effect returns to the source of the cause.

4. Like cause, like effect.

5. Each cause produces its own effect; there is no mutual cancellation.

Thus it is well said, "As shall you sow, so shall you reap". 

This gives us a higher motivational theory, encouraging to do right and discouraging to do wrong. A bonafide cause now brings a bonafide effect tomorrow. And an undesirable cause (doing) today is bound to bring an adverse effect tomorrow. 

Further, each cause has its own effect. A businessman using unfair means to earn more knows very well that he is doing wrong and tries to get rid of this burden by giving a portion of such earning in charity. But as there is no mutual cancellation, he has to face an adverse effect of wrong doing separately and a pleasant effect of the charity separately. 

This doctrine of Karma is also found operative for a group of individuals also. A collective cause brings a collective effect. We do see the impact of right or wrong doings at the level of family, society, organisation or the whole country. For the given right or wrong deeds practiced at individual, family, society or country level; the effect is also seen at individual, family, and society or country level respectively. For example, sons paying debts of father or inheriting property, innocent citizens suffering consequences of wars or prosperity of the country. 'Gahana karmo Gati' or dense are the ways of karma- what trait will they take, and when, is unknown. 

We may at times have a feeling that no one bothers for this law. Or the effect may come or may not. But we say so, with reference to the immediate surroundings. We tend to look at results in near future-least understanding that the effect is a net result of following factors: 

-  The above five components taken together,

-  The time factor-the past, the present and the future (nearer or farther), thus the effect may come  immediately or after a long time.

-  The form or shape in which the effect may come. 

All these make a network of permutations and combinations, and so we may not many a times be able to witness the results of given cause or be able to relate an effect to a past cause. But when we say that effect may or may not come; we definitely acknowledge that effect is there though seen in some cases, not all. 

The Indian explanation of fate is Karma. We ourselves make our own fate through our actions, but the fate created by us binds us; for what we have sown, we must reap in this life or another. Still we are creating our fate for the future even while under going old fate from the past in the present. That gives a meaning to our will and action and does not, as European critics wrongly believe, constitute a rigid and sterilizing fatalism.

Find the difference between Success and Perfection

Thus what is required is, to expand the notion of self-interest, to make it holistic. Because benefit of an organisation is inversely proportionate to the personal desires. The more personal desires of the individuals that make an organisation,the less will be the benefits to the organisation. If we get oriented to watch self-interest only, the organisation is bound to ruin. And if the organisation is ruined, how can its employees flourish? It is just like we cannot enjoy good food eating with right hand when the left hand is injured and bleeding.

As opposed to this, if we can learn to perform desire-less action, the organisation will benefit more. And the benefits of an organisation in turn benefit the individuals. This desire- less action is what is termed as Nishkam Karma- the Principle of Detached involvement i.e. involved in work and detached from personal rewards or gains. In Mahabharata, Arjuna was given this lesson in the battlefield at the time of his psychological crisis. How to fight his own loved ones? Srikrishna advised him to do the right full action in Lok-hit. Thus Nishkama Karma is the act done as a duty without expecting the fruit for self. As against this, Sakam Karma is involvement in work with an expectation of a quick return. This is the Art and Science of work given in Geeta: 

“Thou hest a right to action but only action, never to its fruits; let not the fruits of thy works be thy motive; neither let there be in thee any attachment to inactivity”. 

The modern mind is prone to immediately dismiss this sloka as a hopelessly impractical guideline for the people at work. We may think that it is just impossible to work without the motive of result for self. It is important, therefore to describe the importance of the above sloka. The following explanation will help the readers: 

1. In Sakam Karma we are constantly conscious of the desired results and the benefits to the self. Our concentration thus moves to the end result which is not present but the future. This takes our attention and energies away, from the present, i.e. the work, thus resulting in dissipation of energy. As the involvement is more with the result than the work, the best performance may not be ensured thereby giving a chance to failure in achievement. As the future expectation on the result was too high the failure to achieve leads to much more agony and dissatisfaction. 

2. As against this, in case of Nishkam Karma, the emphasis is on the Karma and not the desired result. This reduction of concern for result psychologically leads to conservation of energy. How? Once the decision to act has been taken after due deliberation about the ends and the means, from that moment our entire energies are focussed on execution. If the result is not according to expectation; it will not make us feel completely beaten and hopeless. Neither will its fulfillment puff us up with euphoria and pride. 

3. The strength of Nishkam Karma are the 'Satwic Guna' which give mental equilibrium i.e. 'Samatwa'- the state in which one accepts the positive results gracefully and does not get derailed in case of failure. One can take success and failure both as the two sides of the same coin, thus can handle both. The 'Sakam Karma' is driven by Rajasic forces of ego, greed and anger, which lead to inequilibrium and can prompt the doer to twist the meanness to ensure the desired result. As Mahatma Gandhi said: 

He who is ever brooding over result often loses nerve in the performance of his duty. He becomes impatient and then gives vent to anger and begins to do unworthy things; he jumps from action to action, never remaining faithful to any. He who broods over results is like a man given to objects of sense; he is ever distracted, he says good-bye to all scruples, everything is right in his estimation and he therefore resorts to means fair and foul to attain his end. 

4. In the former case of Niskam Karma, work is worship of divine, whereas in the later case, work is worship of ego. Thus the former agrees with the cosmic order. In Sakam Karma the goals are ego- centric whereas in Niskam Karma they go beyond to socio-centric and Cosmo-centric causes. Here the work is performed in a natural way like the flower that gives fragrance, the sun that gives sunlight without asking for the rewards. Management of ego helps in becoming wholesome worker. 

5. In Sakam Karma, success is the aim whereas in Nishkam Karma, perfection is the aim. The former is normally short-lived and temporary. When perfection is the aim the failures are accepted as stepping-stones and journey to perfection continues. Such performance only can lead to Sustenance of the World- 'Loksangraha'. 

6. The modern concepts of success treat man as a rational animal. Work is performed in competitive spirit quoting the law of jungle - survival of the fittest. One tries to excel through competitive rivalries. As against this in Nishkama karma excellence is achieved through the principle of 'work is worship'. And when one is striving for perfection, who is the competitor? None else, but you yourself. 

As Dr. Radhakrishnan says: 

Work is man's homage to the Supreme. 

7. One following Nishkam Karma is internally autonomous and self motivated. The Sakam karma worker is externally dependent and can attain job- enrichment only. As against this Nishkam Karma brings mind enrichment, which bring beauty to all jobs. 

Such desire less action can have no decisiveness, no effectiveness, no efficient motive, no large vigorous creative power? Not so. Action done in this spirit is not only the highest but the wisest, the most potent and efficient, even for the affairs of the world. 

---- Sri Aurobindo 

Example/Exercise about the Nishkama Karma:-

You are given 9 dots in the space below. All you are required to do is draw four straight lines without lifting your pencil once you start, so as to join these 9 points. 

                        

                                                          ο             ο          ο 

                                                          ο             ο          ο 

                                                          ο             ο          ο 

There is no trickery and it is possible to join all the nine points with 4 straight lines, without lifting pen/pencil. 

Use pencil so that you can try again and again.
Make sure that all the points are joined.
Make sure that you draw only 4 straight lines.
Make sure that you do not lift your pencil, once you 

start, until you complete 

drawing 4 straight lines.
You may see the result below. 

What message does this exercise convey? 

If you had confined yourself to the space within the 9 points, you would not have succeeded in joining the points as desired. 

The same is true with our involvements in life. If we get attached to them, we are not able to solve the problems with which we are confronted, because we are involved. 

If we become detached and view the problem from outside, without involvement, we are able to get the solutions. 

In the above suggestion we are following the philosophy of Lord Krishna 

‘Be detached; Let things work; let brain-centres work. Work incessantly but let not a ripple conquer the mind. Do not bind yourself. Bondage is terrible’. 

In this philosophy of detachment, we are not to run away from our battlefield. 

Thus we are not supposed to cling to our situations. At the same time, there is no escape also. We are required to be involved to the extent necessary for smooth performance of our duties. But should also know how far this involvement should be. 

Bernard Shaw has also said that the reasonable man looks at the world as it is and adjusts himself to the limitations. 

Here the adjustment to limitations does not mean to confine oneself within the limits but to be capable of working out alternatives to overcome the given constraints. This needs creativity which can work in an open-mind, not the one which is over-involved (stuck) in the situation.  we can work in constraints by accepting them, not by rejecting them. 

Michelangelo was once asked how he made beautiful status from pieces of marble, which had no shape. He said that the statue was in his mind and he went on removing from the marble whatever was not part of the statue and soon the statue emerged. 

Thus he did not get involved in the shapeless stone. The shapeless stone did not disturb the statue in his mind. This detachment from the stone and involvement in the Job (the statue) alone was his strength. Thus the beauty of the inner world can manifest in the outer world through detached involvement only. Without detachment we get derailed and lost in the chaotic world. This inner beauty should be given a chance to manifest within the Zone of our Discretion. Let the other things around not disturb us. 

PRACTICING NISHKAM KARMA 

A few doubts may arise in our minds, when it comes to practicing Nishkam Karma. One such doubt is: if I begin to follow this approach then I may soon confine myself to oblivion in the present day environment’. This very anxiety seems natural in today’s work environment. Indian thinkers have always stressed that such efforts cannot and should not be contingent upon whether others reciprocate the same attitude or not. Such a contingency approach will tend to act as an obstacle to the initiation of change because each one is waiting and guessing what the other(s) might or might not do. Let us initiate it even though all alone. Because we know if the cause, the intention, the motivation is right and pure, the effect, the result must also be wholesome.  In the cosmic scheme, this law is just immutable. Men like Vivekananda, Tagore, Tilak, Gandhi, and Ramana have also proved this fundamental truth in contemporary times. And they were workers and achievers par excellence! 

But the real obstacle lies in our own mechanical mental assumptions and constructions. We have become conditioned to keep over-planning our actions for the desired outcomes. Most of us are concerned about success at each and every step of our life. The goals have become so short- lived that even the failure to get expected result in trivial matters is enough to upset us, when we are not even sure if the expected result only is really beneficial to us. The following story on Akbar and Birbal can help us understand why we need to come out of such conditionings. 

STORY 

Akbar the emperor is known for his generosity and Birbal, his minister, for his wisdom. That is why Akbar always consulted him on all issued and loved his company. Once they went to jungle for hunting. Following a deer, both of them went far into the jungle and lost their way. 

Their accompanies were left behind. The deer could not be caught and in turn Akbar got his thumb injured. With the result they could not continue hunting anymore. Leaving their horses, both started walking slowly. Akbar asked Birbal, ‘ Now you keep saying that God is great and he brings all the benevolence to us. Do you think so even now when my thumb is injured and I am not able to hunt anymore?’ Birbal answered humbly, ‘ Yes my Lord! I still feel so.’ The emperor got annoyed and pushed Birbal, who fell into a nearby pit. Birbal tried to come out but in vain. Akbar asked him again, ‘ Do you still hold the same opinion?’ To this again Birbal replied in affirmative. “O.K. then enjoy His grace.’ Saying so, the emperor walked ahead alone. 

Hardly had he gone half a furlong, a group of tribal soldiers came around him. They took him along to their tribe, gave him a bath and presented him before their leader, who was busy performing yagna with his people. The leader directed his soldiers to inspect the captive’s body. It was found that his thumb was injured. Realising that he was not fit for the ritual sacrifice, the soldiers were ordered to leave the captive. 

Akbar felt relieved and rushed back to Birbal. The whole situation was now clear to him. He pulled out Birbal from the pit and told him the tale. Then he said, ‘ Oh Birbal, now I understand how great He is! I am saved just because of this injury on my thumb.’ ‘Yes my Lord!’ said Birbal, ‘ that is why I am always grateful to him. Had you not thrown me in this pit, I could have lost my life in the sacrifice.’ 

The moral of this story is that even if the things do not move the way we desire them to, and for which we have made the required effort, we should not get frustrated. Here we have to understand that this whole universe is infinite and there are infinite cause and effect factors going around. We with our limited power of sense organs cannot know all of them. Also with our limited intellect, we cannot comprehend all of them. So if we have taken a particular action with reference to the limited factors known to us, we cannot be sure of the desired result. Because we do not know what is going to be the impact of all the factors not known to us. Further, even if we are able to achieve the desired result we cannot be sure that the desired outcome only is for my benevolence in the long run. The fact that the working of the all pervading Cosmic or Divine power is for the benevolence of all may not be so directly visible to us in our day to day life as in the above case of Akbar and Birbal. But definitely this endless act of well-being is going on and on. 

Thus while working with selfless pure desire, we have to cultivate an inner certitude that the effects of such work are bound to be wholesome in a total sense. And a sincere beginning does indeed produce evidence soon enough for the practitioner to prove its truth. For, our mind by then gets tuned to observe and interpret facts and events in an altogether new and integral light. We start perceiving meaningful cause and effect linkages in all the apparently random happenings around us. 

Is the work equal to Worship? and what is the difference between two?

'Work is worship': we have heard this phrase as much in western thought as in India. Its common usage in the West limits itself to emphasis disciplined dedication to the task at hand. This is highly desirable. But it stops there. The word worship is not taken to its full spiritual meaning. In the Indian thought we can understand the deep spiritual meaning of the phrase by practicing it in these sequential stages: 

. a)  Work and worship

. b)  Work as worship, and

. c)  Work is worship

For those of us who go to churches only on Sundays, or to temples or gurudwaras or mosques on festive days alone, there is a complete demarcation between work and worship. Even for those who sit twice daily for prayers before their deities or god, as is still the practice in a dwindling number 

  

of Indian homes, such worship is often conceived in opposition to work. Of course during prayers, the mind is somewhat more pure and calm. But the effect is short-lived. This state of affairs is mentioned as work and worship. 

The next advanced stage is when we are able, in a conscious way, to offer our work also as a prayer to the Supreme Power, Universal Energy, conceived and understood either intellectually, or through a chosen deity (bhakti marga). This brings a touch of purity in the means employed, and some extra dedication and humility while doing, work. This is the stage of work as worship. 

The final stage is when all distinction vanishes between sitting down for prayers and formally worshipping on the one hand, and standing up to a machine, or sitting at a desk scanning through papers and files, or lecturing on a topic. Man's entire living and conduct then become an unending worship. In this state, no work remains higher or lower for us. Nature of work is not important, but the manner in which it is performed is important. The importance of work is the dedication with which it is done. A man like Gandhi, Tagore, Vivekananda, Ramana and Vinoba are some such examples of Work is worship. This is the climax, the crowning achievement of the ancient Indian method of work, which needs to be our work ethics. We can attain this method and art of work through Purification of Mind, which helps us keep aside ego-driven self-interests. This method and art of work can help us reach the culmination of Work is worship - the true basis of work ethics. 

This attitude towards work, if adopted, can nurture and give strength to the worker through all ups and downs, success and failures, and gradually stimulate him towards perfection and progress, even when the work being performed is apparently the meanest. This theory thus gives dignity to all jobs- the big and small. 

STORY 

A teacher had learnt about a wise-man who lived uphill. One day he decided to visit this man with his two students. On their way they had to pass through a meadow, where they found a shepherd with a flock of sheep. The shepherd seemed very angry and was seen time and again beating a sheep, which was limping slowly because of a wounded foreleg and was often left behind. At the same time there appeared an old man who was walking with a stick and was passing by the same flock. After some time the old man picked up the limping sheep, put it on his shoulders and kept walking. On the way he dropped the sheep at shepherds house and walked away calmly. Throughout the way this old man was seen to be walking patiently. The two students kept watching all this and started talking to each other. 

Student I: Why should this old man carry the sheep? It is difficult for him to walk. 

Student II: May be the sheep belong to him.

Student I: But he is not talking to anyone. I don't think he knows the shepherd or the sheep.

Student II: But even the shepherd could carry the sheep. He is quite young. 

Student I: He must be making fool of this old man. He is not bothered. 

Student II: (when the sheep was dropped) But the sheep seems to be thankful. 

Student I: What about the old-man, he does not look tired, even he does not seems to be expecting any thanks from the shepherd. 

Student II: Oh! The shepherd is a thankless person.

Student I: But why could not you or I pick up the sheep. 

Student II: Come on, at least I am not interested in all this charity 

Soon the teacher and the student were climbing the hill and they reached the place where, they were to see the wise man. To their astonishment, this wise man was none else but the same old man. The old man welcomed them and offered them seats. They asked him: ' Sir we saw you on our way. You were carrying a sheep. But we wondered why were you carrying the sheep all the way when we could see, it is difficult for you to walk? Even the shepherd could pick it. He even did not have any feeling of thankfulness.’ The old man did not reply and was quite and calm. 

The teacher took the students back. On their way he told them that the wise man was above all these small things to expect gratitude or something else in return. He showed you what is Nishkam Karma. It is the Sattwa Gunas like compassion and care which prompted him to pick-up the poor sheep. Even you or I could do that. We did feel concern for the sheep but did not have courage to carry it. This shows the wise man's ego-less state. He was not bothered what others might be feeling about him. Whatever job came his way he did it with full enrichment and thereafter just forget. Great men do not remember the good done by them. They just enjoy it. This state can be reached only when one performs his job as an offering to the divine. Thus Whatever work we do, we should offer it to the supreme. 

This is a real mind enrichment formula in Nishkam Karma. Because when I do Niskam Karma, my heart will be pure, if I do Sakama Karma, my emotions will be involved. Thus the true skill in work, as given in our ancient Indian thoughts is the capacity to do work while being consciously in union of the supreme. The attention put outside on work is balanced by the inner anchor in the supreme intelligence or power. Such action done in yoga is not only the highest but the wisest also; the most potent and efficient even for the affairs of the world. 

Thusbefore you start the day's work, at your desk or work-place, silently invoke the Supreme Power and offer your effort to Him; sometime half-way through the day, repeat this, and close the working day too by a similar inner process. In fact, this also is what yoga in practice really boils down to. Practicising this with ardent faith does produce good results pretty soon. And, of course, by this means, the goal of the improvement of the quality of working life in organizations becomes attainable. 

Little Moral Story from Clara Barton

Once labelled “timid as a mouse, but brave as a lion”, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross at age fifty-one. A woman of commitment, she continued to fulfil her mission through her golden years. She did not let her age get in her way. Clara went wherever there was suffering to relieve-after battle, fire, flood, earthquake or yellow fever. At the age of seventy-seven, she was on the battlefields of Cuba for the Spanish- American War. She continued her relief work until she died at age ninety-one. 

One day, someone reminded her about an offence that another person had committed against her years before. But she acted as if she had never heard of the cruel act.
“Don’t you remember it?” her friend asked.
“No,” came Clara’s reply. “I clearly remember forgetting it”. 

Moral Story:- Everything can be remembered and forgettable. It is upto you what values. If you remember grudging and revenge, it will grow like a plant and become humungous until you are totally consumed(your thoughts) by it.

What is the Moral story from Cracked Pot & Water Bearer?

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. 

For a full two years, this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. 

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water-bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said. 

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and every day while we walked back, you've watered them. 

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are there would not be this beauty to grace the house. 

The moral of the story: each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots, but it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life. 

Story of King,Desire,Will and Welfare

The responsibility for awakening all our endeavours to act is vested first of all in the external. From many directions, in different ways, it makes us alert and active.It will awaken, not overwhelm us, this was the understanding. We will awaken for experiencing our own authority consciously, not for bearing the burden of slavery. 

The King’s son has been put into the hands of the master. The master will drive away ignorance and laziness by teaching and moulding him to make him fit for holding full charge of the kingdom- this was the understanding with him. That the king is no one’s slave, it is this learning that is the acme of all his education. 

But often the master so bewilders his student in many ways, entangles him in the ignorant habit of total dependence only on the master, that on growing up he sits on the throne but in name it is that very master who rules over the kingdom. 

Similarly, when the external extends far beyond imparting education, when it seeks to overwhelm us, then the option of cutting thorough its net by dismissing it altogether is the way of salvation. 

Desire is the power by which the external draws our endeavours towards the outside. This desire makes us follow the multifarious in the external. Whatever presents itself to us at any time is what enchants our minds. In this way our mind gets dispersed among the many. This is the natural means of getting to know the many at first. 

If this desire does not stop at the proper place, if the very intensity of this desire assumes the greatest importance in life then our life is not able to discard the ignorant condition of blind attachment. We are unable to experience and prove our own authority. It is the external that remains the master; gaining any sort of authority becomes impossible for us. It is the immediate lack and present attraction that harasses us by making us go round and round from one pettiness to another. In such a situation man is unable to build up anything permanent. 

Where does this desire reach and stop? In will. As the goal of desire is external things, so is the aim of will the inner intentions. Intention is something internal. Will does not permit our desire to roam the path of the external randomly. It binds down all the restless desires around some internal intention. 

Then what happens? All those desires, which used to roam outside at the call of different masters rest quietly within under a single lord's control. From many they turn towards one. Wealth(need not to be money) has to be created-if this intention is kept within the mind, then it will not do to allow our desires to roam around as they will. Many types of greed have to be restrained, many attractions of luxury have to be discarded, constant vigil has to be maintained lest any external thing beguiles our desire away from pursuing this aim. 

However, if it is desire which is more intense than our will, if it does not want to obey the goal, then at once the authority of the external increases and reduces the authority of the internal and destroys the goal. Then man's work of creation does not progress. When desire spills over its inner banks, it destroys everything. 

Where the power of will is strong, where authority is well established within, there man, avoiding the attraction of the tamasic inertia, gains the excellence of the rajasic-disciplined action. There man gradually develops in knowledge, possessions, and prowess. 

However, just as the objects of desire are varied in the external world, similarly, the objects of will, too, are not one or two in the inner world. There is no count of how many intentions arise in the mind. The will for knowledge, will for wealth, will for fame and so on, everyone wants to assume mastery itself. The chaotic disorder of that will is no less than the disorder of desire. 

Besides that another thing is noticed. When, obeying desire, I had made the thousand kings of the external my master, and then the available wages did not fill the stomach. That is why man has repeatedly complained that the servitude of desire is an extremely painful slavery. The food that I secure from this only increases hunger and, dragging me around in the wake of a thousand demands, it does not permit me to get peace anywhere. 

Again, obedient to will, when I run after each individual internal intention, then, too, many a time I get paid in false currency. Tiredness and depression and doubt come. Constantly there is need for the liquor of excitement, and there is lack of peace too. As desire makes us go round in the confusion of the external., similarly will harasses us in the confusion of the internal. Ultimately, while paying the wages, it escapes by cheating us. 

Therefore, as it is man's innermost need to unite all the desires under the governance of the will, and if that cannot be done he cannot enjoy any success, similarly bringing the various wills under the governance of some ruler is the subject of his fundamental prayer. If this is not done, he cannot live. when will gather the inner armies to defeat the external enemy, in the absence of a leader it faces death at the hands of those same unruly armies. A kingdom ruled by an army is undoubtedly better than a kingdom overrun by brigands, but even that is not a happy state. In the tamasic there is the dominance of desires, in the rajasic the dominance of power. Here it is martial rule. 

But the king needs a kingdom. When do we experience the supreme goodness of that monarchy? When one harmonise all my intentions with the world-will. It is that will which is the single intention of the world: the will for welfare. That is not only my wish, not only your wish that is the fundamental and eternal will of the universe. That Lord of all, in that one Lord's mighty empire when one marshal the armies of my will, that is when they stand in the right place. Then renunciation does not harm, in forgiveness there is no loss of prowess, in service there is no slavery. Then danger does not terrify, chastisement cannot punish, death abandons horror. One day everyone had seized hold of me. Ultimately when one found the King, then one found everyone. The world from which I had retreated into my inner fort for succour, depending on that same world one came out fearlessly. There everyone acknowledged the king's servant respectfully. 

Sattwa,Rajas,Tamas in day-to-day life of the Individual

As explained in Bhagvad Gita and the various Upnishads, human nature is a combination of three types of Gunas.  These are the  "Sattwa Guna, the Rajas Guna and the Tamas Guna."

Sattwa(S) is purity, fineness, goodness, compassion, gratitude etc. 

Rajas(R) is restlessness, activity, passion and their derivatives like lust, greed, pride 

Tamas(T) is darkness, obstruction, implying laziness, procrastination,(delaying action)

confusion etc.   

These gunas coexist and cohere. Human mind is also a synthesis of these  three gunas. In

general behaviour of a person or at a given point of time, any one of the Guna may be

predominant compared to the other two. 

The following comparative picture of Gunas is given in Srimad Bhagawatam: 

—>  When Sattwa, which is pure and tranquil and which has the power to illumine,

overcomes the other two gunas, then a man becomes endowed with happiness, virtue and

knowledge. 

—>  When Rajas, which leads, man to action, which rouses attachment, and causes the

vision of multiplicity, overcomes Tamas and Sattwa, then a man becomes active, finds

wealth and fame, and suffers misery. 

—> When Tamas, which is characterized by inertia, and which casts a veil of ignorance over

one's mind and makes one lose the power of discrimination, overcomes Rajas and Sattwa,

then man becomes stricken with grief and delusion; he lives in a dream of hope; he becomes

cruel; he falls asleep spiritually. 

We can understand these Gunas and their relationship by realizing that personality of 

human beings evolve along the following three trends or moods:  The emotional people are

sensitive, daydreaming, and sentimental and soft- hearted, the group to which most artists

belong, be it in the field of music, painting, poetry or architect. They are creative emotional

innocent and free from all defilements. They have pure desire and  their artistic creations

have quality of divine joy. They tend to enjoy the natural harmony and rhythm. Normally we

link these qualities with heart and moon. these are the powers of the right hemisphere of

brain. They represent the feminine aspects of a personality. These qualities are called Tamo

Guna and are controlled by the left side of the Sympathetic Nervous system. 

However, these temperaments when pushed to extreme bring imbalance in the personality 

and such people can sink in lethargy and depression. They can develop into self-destructive 

tendencies – and we say that they have become Tamasic. Such persons then struggle in their
world of emotions, the past and the psychological conditionings (super ego) that he/she has 

wrongly developed. They become very sensitive to feelings, questing for love, bemoaning  

their bad luck. They become victim to their inner tortures and are dominated by others. 

Thus they represent darkness. 

The Active or Dynamic people are builders of civilization and committed to the common 

cause. They represent the masculine aspect and the Sun. They have search for action and 

projection into the future. These qualities are called Rajo Guna and are controlled by the 

right side of the Sympathetic nervous system. So long they act with fairness, firmness, 

constancy and moderation without overloading themselves with stress, they are in balance. 

But when they start going to extremes by neglecting others and becoming ego (self) centric – 

they run, rush, become impatient, are afraid of failure, turn pale, get stomach ache; they 

become Rajasic. Such people call upon jealousy or envy to carry out their actions 

successfully. Vanity, pride and arrogance stifle their success. They do not have patience to 

await victory till the end of the day. Their attention is shattered into thousand pieces as it is 

constantly exposed to the modern materialism. They dominate others and try to be the 

masters. 

There are very few people with Moderate tendencies. They  are able  to control their actions 

and emotions, much better. They possess  ability to watch with detachment, the ups and 

downs of life. They  are peaceful, steady and have soothing influence on people around.They 

are seldom influenced by events. Their strength and  discernment are such that they can 

play around with sticky  situations and emerge victorious without great damage to   

themselves. They know how to withdraw from any excess in good   time. They are balanced 

and unconsciously confident. 

Each one of us predominantly belongs to one of these three categories. We also reflect these 

three gunas in different proportions in our general behaviour. Further, such behaviour is  

not constant. While we come to the balanced state of Sattwa Guna  also, our attention 

constantly keeps moving like pendulum from  Rajasic to Tamasic. Thus ourpersonality 

shows tendency for one of  the two extreme behaviours- either sensitive emotional and 

dreamy  one or the active, dynamic and dominating one. It is difficult to  maintain balance 

between the two, i.e. to be in the Satwic state. 

The Manusmriti draws attention to the distinction between Gunas

as follows: 

When man experiences in his soul a feeling full of bliss a deep calm  as it were, and a pure 

light, then let him know that it is among those  three the quality of Goodness(Sattwa). 

What is mixed with pain and does not give satisfaction of the soul one may know to be the 

quality of Activity, which is difficult to conquer and which ever draws embodied souls 

towards sensuous objects (Rajas). 

What is coupled with delusion, what has the character of an indiscernible mass,what cannot
be fathomed by reasoning what cannot be fully known, one must consider as the quality of 

Darkness (Tamas). 

To put in simple words:                                      

Sattwa is Illumination, Good.                                    

Rajas is passionate, Activity and 

Tamas is Darkness and obstruction. 

Sri Aurobindo has given Guna Theory in simple and clear words as follows: 

Sattwa is the force of equilibrium and translates in quality as good harmony and happiness 

and light, Rajas is the force of kinetics and translates in quality as struggle and effort, 

passion and action, Tamas is the force of in-conscience and inertia and translates"in quality 

as obscurity and incapacity and inaction. Ordinarily used for psychological self- analysis, 

these functions are valid also in physical nature. 

Thus Sattwic state is a balanced position between the two extremes the Rajasic state and the Tamasic State.

In fact the physical nature also displays manifestation of these three types of moods. When 

the sun rises in the morning, the nature looks cool calm and rejuvenated. The rising Sun 

illuminates the world. The nature of everything in the world also is in Sattwic mood. As the 

sun rises high everything gets into activity, thus manifesting theRajsic Guna. In the evening 

with the sunset every activity slows down as if with tiredness and dissipation of energy and 

then becomes inactive (the state of inaction) thus showing the inertia or the Tamsic Guna. 

As is evident, every guna is important and we cannot do without any one of them e.g. 

without getting proper sleep, we cannot perform our activity properly in the daytime.The
nature keeps dwelling in these three states and is able to maintain the balance without going 

to extreme in Rajasic or Tamasic state. We human being also need to learn how to maintain 

this balance as Sattwa prevails/develops in this state. 

Vinoba Bhave has picked up the R-guna in particular, and given us a number of examples

from the world around to clarify its nature. In his own words: The chief mark of Rajas is the

desire to do all sorts of things, an overweening ambition to do superhuman deeds. Through 

Rajas we conceive a limitless desire for action, a consuming greed. 

The bird flies in the air. Why should 1 not fly too? The fish lives in the water why should I

not make a submarine and live in water too? Thus, having got a human body we find

satisfaction in competing the sub-human specie like birds and fish. 

Under its (Rajas) influence man burrows deep into earth, brings out from its bowels of a few

stones and calls them rubies and diamonds. Possessed by the same agitation, he dives into

the sea and brings up the rubbish from the depths, calls it as pearl.

Today a reception in Madras, tomorrow in  Calcutta and the day after in Bombay or Nagpur.

His ambition is to get civic addresses from every municipality in the land. He sees glory

everywhere. 

To the modem mind, however, all the examples cited by Vinoba constitute the symbols of

progress and achievement by mankind. But do such activities bring the real progress and

achievement for the mankind? If it was so, we should have been happy and peaceful in the

prevailing situation. When the Rajasic Guna dominates us, we forget that all human

endeavours have to be for the benevolence of the humanity on the whole, and not for the

individual self-interest disregarding implication on others. Such Rajasic achievements bring

pain only to the achiever in the long run. 

Can you make out the difference in the dynamism of Mahatma Gandhi and that of Hitler? 

Mahatma Gandhi's dynamism is driven from Sattwic forces of Purity, Simplicity, non

violence, compassion, whereas Rajsic Guna like anger, arrogance, dominance and

selfishness drove the dynamism of Hitler. 

The decisions taken in the earlier case were wise decisions, which were painful for a short

term but brought long-term gains for the whole nation. In the later case the decisions were

egocentric and selfish, but destructive for the humanity.Even the self-interest achieved were

which resulted in short- term gains and resulted in long-term pains.Thus Sattwa result in

wise decisions and Rajas in clever decisions. 

Dynamism is very important and we need it. But if guided by Rajas qualities, it will be

misguiding /blind dynamism. If it is guided by sattvic qualities, it will be constructive,

productive not harming others. 

- Sri Aurobindo 

Conclusion:-

Thus Dynamism under Sattwa is holistic. Sattwic Guna are qualities, which we term as

Human Values.  Sattwic psycho-forces enlarge the perspective of gain as a whole - not my

personal gain, but gain for all. 

 "Where the power of will is strong, where authority is well established within, there man, avoiding the attraction of the tamasic inertia, gains the excellence of the rajasic-disciplined action. There man gradually develops in knowledge, possessions, and prowess."

Game of three Gunas:-

We can categorize the typical personality in real life as hybrids like Sattwo-rajasic or Rajo-tamasic and so on. In these hybrids it is the first guna, which is relatively stronger than the second. Thus, while in all phenomenal events and in mans empirical existence the presence of all the three gunas is inevitable, yet their formulation in a hierarchic order promises to be an important source for development and self- growth. 

The key problem is that because of predominance of Rajas and Tamas and because Sattwa is

nearly dormant, the effect of the interplay of the gunas is seen in the form of anger, abuse in

parliament, armories at places of worship, corruption in bureaucracy, mutual envy and

distrust, the incidence of mutual diseases and suicides in society. 

As Sattwa is pure, fine and good, it helps the human beings in becoming aware of and

sensitive to the inner higher self. Progress and achievement have to be turned towards the

inner world of man also. The worth and value of so-called progress and achievement in the

external world can be judged by the level of human development that it brings. In other

words, it should help human beings in their emancipation and evolution towards a wider

consciousness. Hiriyanna conveys the nature of the process of altering the balance or proportion of the three gunas, and its end-result in the following words:The strengthening

of Sattwa hastens our approach towards a purer mind, taking it closer tothe purusha or

poorna or atman aspect or our being. Our idiosyncrasies and biases then begin to be

reduced, for Sattwa is the substance of purity and light itself And thus we can move closer to

understanding things as they are. This is the crux of our quest for personal organizational

effectiveness, and the improvement of the quality of work-life. 

As already explained, we are faced with the bad effects of Rajas(or)Tamas only when we go to extremes in any of them.However if we are able to come out of these extremes we are in a

balanced (middle) state on the pendulum of the three Gunas, i.e.Sattwa. Meditation or mind

stilling exercise gives us an opportunity to withdraw from outer world for a time being and

attain the balanced state of sattwa within. Our intuitive power also helps us in this balanced

state of Sattwa only. 

Myth of the Mind:-

We have talked about pure mind and brain, and their relationship in Unit I. We have discussed three types of qualities above and their impact in our day to day life as well as in an organisation. We have also seen that Sattwa gives a balanced state which is attain by developing Pure Mind in Mind stilling Exercise. According to Indian philosophy, our mind takes us away from the real world into the Myth. Infect, mind itself is a myth, and gives a particular perception to our vision of the outer world. Thus our vision gets distorted. Whatever we received in our brain through our five senses from the exterior world; our mind reacts to it (a) on the basis of our past experiences and habits, which we may call as conditionings, and/or (b) out of Ego or our own desires, feelings of jealousy envy, pride etc. If the mind becomes still, it will not react to all these situations and we will be able to witness the things in thoughtlessness. In such thoughtless witness state only, we can be in the reality. In such a balanced state, our perception is not tinted through our pre-conditionings (Tamas) or our Ego (Rajas). Thus thoughts are there so long we mind the things. When there is no thought, we may call it a state of pure mind. Such a state is a Sattwic state. 

Does this mean that we are put to inaction in this state? 

No. Action in this state is not a reaction of mind but an automatic response in the given situation and thus a pure action. It is an unconscious action like all the activities of the nature. Naturally the dissipation of energy will be very low. We can compare such actions to the working of our involuntary nervous system, the working of all our internal systems, the blood circulatory system, the respiratory system etc. We do not think that we have to respire. The process continues automatically. If the lungs are not getting sufficient oxygen, or need more oxygen (during jogging or running), the respiration automatically becomes faster and deeper. Such spontaneous becomes the action, which are taken in the state of pure mind. We may call them actions in a Sattwic state, in a state of thoughtless awareness. We can thus perform in complete calmness without agitation, noise or rigorous thinking in mind. 

In today’s world where Ethical Governance is a global concern, different countries are making efforts in achieving clean government. An outright approach is towards developing service orientation in the public service. The government servants are expected to serve with the at your service attitude. Such a temprament can be an outcome of a Pure Mind only, which is neither influenced by the preconditions or the preconceived ideas, nor by the ego or the selfish interests: neither by the Tamasic guna nor by the Rajasic guna. The balanced state of Sattwa can only provide the public services without deviation of funds or interest in one’s own interest.