The Bhagavad-Gita — The God Song. Chapter XIV: The three Gunas

The three Gunas are the qualities of Prakriti.

Sattva is purity. Sattva is light. Sattva is wisdom. Happiness and Sattva stay together. Harmony and Sattva breathe together. The senses in Sattva are surcharged with the light of knowledge. If one leaves the body when Sattva prevails, then to the pure abode of the Sages he goes.

Rajas is passion. Rajas is desire. Rajas is unlit activity. Rajas binds the body to action. Rajas stays either with stark dynamism or with blind aggression. Restlessness and Rajas breathe together. To separate toil from Rajas is practically impossible. Rajas is another name for passionate move. If one dies when Rajas prevails, then he is reborn among those attached to action.

Tamas is slumber. Tamas is darkness. Tamas is ignorance. Stagnation and Tamas stay together. Futility and Tamas breathe together. Impossible for Tamas to be separated from naked pangs. Tamas is another name for slow death. A man in Tamas is followed by rebirth among the senseless fools.

Sattva-tree bears the fruit called harmony.
Rajas-tree bears the fruit called pain.
Tamas-tree bears the fruit called ignorance.

Sattva offers to the world at large luminous knowledge; Rajas passionate greed; Tamas rank delusion. He whose life is flooded with Sattva looks up into the skies. Hence he goes to higher spheres. He whose life is fired with Rajas looks haughtily around the world. Hence here he dwells. Blind is he whose life is covered with tenebrous Tamas. Stone blind is he. Hence down he sinks.

The Lord says that he who understands the origin of action in these three-fold qualities of Prakriti and at the same time Purusha who is beyond the qualities comes to Him and enters into His Nature. And finally when he goes beyond the length and breath of these three qualities, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, he drinks deep the Nectar of Immortality.

This precisely expected of a Sattvic man. Now you may ask how is it that he too has to transcend his nature? Is he not unique in his service to mankind? He may be unique in his large human family, but perfect freedom he has yet to achieve. Silently, secretly and, alas, at times even unconsciously the poor Sattvic man is attached to the fruits of his generous service, to the effects of his sublime knowledge. So with a view to achieving absolute freedom and perfect perfection a Sattvic man has to transform and transcend his nature.

After having transcended the three Gunas one has to make a choice, whether one wants to remain in the Transcendent, far above the field of manifestation, or one wants to serve the Eternal Breath of the Infinite in humanity and inspire humanity to the Realisation of the supreme Bliss, Peace and Power.

Not one, not two but three significant questions Arjuna asks. What are the marks of him who has transcended the three qualities? How does he behave? How does he go beyond the three qualities?

Krishna’s answers are:

The Yogi who has transcended the three qualities in his own life will neither hate nor crave for the fruits of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. His within and without are flooded with his soul’s equanimity. He is absolutely independent. He has realised the absolute independence of his divinity within. Something more. He serves God with his sterling devotion. He does it soulfully. He serves mankind with all his love. He does it unconditionally. He sees God and God alone in all human souls. Such a Yogi ultimately becomes without fail the Self Supreme.

The Bhagavad-Gita — The God Song. Chapter XV: The Supreme Purusha

Chapter XIII (thirteen) has taught us the truth that there is a Field and there is a Knower of that Field. Chapter XIV (fourteen) has thrown abundant light on the Field, the cosmic play of Prakriti. In this particular chapter we shall learn about the Knower, the Self Individual, the Self Universal and the Self Supreme.

This chapter begins with a Tree. This Tree is called the World-Tree. Unlike earthly or botanical trees, this Tree has its root above in the Supreme. The Supreme is its only Source. Downward are its branches spread. The Vedas are its leaves. He who has fathomed the depths of the ever-changing and ever-evolving world has all the Vedic Knowledge at his disposal.

Here on earth this Tree is not free. It is caught by its own action and reaction here in this world of ours. It is fondly nourished by the three qualities of Prakriti. If one wants to discover the beginning, the end and the very existence of this Tree, then one has to free himself totally from this Temptation-Tree.

Tree signifies aspiration. This aspiration ultimately rises up to the Highest. Countless are the Indian sadhus (monks) who sit under the trees and enter into the world of deeper mediation. The aspiration of the tree inspires them and arouses their dormant aspiration. Lord Buddha had his Enlightenment at the foot of the Bodhi-Tree. The world knows it.

The Gita is an ocean of spirituality. Spirituality’s most affectionate daughter is poetry. The subtle breath of poetry is always fondled by the life-energising spirituality. Let us identify our consciousness with the consciousness of a poet when he speaks of a tree.

Since poetry is my forte, I gladly take the liberty of seeing eye to eye with the blessed poet.

To come back to our philosophical Tree. The wise cut down its root with the axe of detachment. This is the way to liberation. This is the way to the supreme good.

A wise man lives in perfect self-control. He is devoted to the Truth unreservedly and unconditionally. He wants God and God alone who is the Fount of the world within and the world without and also of the world beyond. The happenings, encouraging or discouraging, pleasant or unpleasant, divine or undivine do not stir his mind, not to speak of his inner existence. He swims in the sea of fruitful Silence and Equanimity. He being the master of the senses lords it over them. He comes to Krishna, his only Haven. No sun, no moon, no fire in His Abode. Not necessary. This Abode is the Source of the entire universe. It is All Illumination. From His eternal Abode there is no return.

It is not for the deluded but for the seers who are endowed with the divine vision to recognise or understand Him, the Lord Supreme, who enters into the body, resides in the body and experiences the qualities of Nature and leaves the body at His chosen hour.

To be sure, all serious efforts of a man will be of no avail until he has achieved steadiness in his mind, until his outer nature is at his command, until his heart overflows with the love and devotion to his spiritual Teacher (Guru), until he serves the living Breath of the Lord in humanity.

There are two aspects of creation: the perishable and the imperishable. Beyond these two is the Impersonal Supreme. This Impersonal Supreme is at once all-pervading and all-sustaining.

The Lord says: “I, the Purushottama, the Supreme Being, transcend both the perishable and the imperishable.”

There are four Vedas. Strangely enough, all the four Vedas significantly speak of this Supreme Being.

“The Being Supreme, thousand-headed, thousand-eyed, thousand-footed;
He pervades the length and breadth of the earth. He is beyond all ten corners.”¹

Here ‘thousand’ undoubtedly means infinite. Infinity is manifesting itself through the finite in the field of manifestation.

Purushottama is beyond the formless and form, beyond impersonality and personality. In Him the mightiest dynamic urge and the profoundest Silence stay together. To Him, they are one. To Him are one, heavenly freedom and earthly necessity, the ever-changing form of the earth and the changeless Reality infinite.

Children's conversations with God —- Children under eight

Vernett's conversation with God

God I am a bit puzzled. My grandmother says that You are inside my heart. My mother says that You are inside my eyes. My father says that You are around me. Who is right, God?

All of them are right.

Impossible, God. How can everybody be right? Please tell me frankly who is right.

I tell you frankly, my child, your grandmother is right, your mother is right, your father is right.

How?

I live inside your heart. That is why you are so soulful.
I live inside your eyes. That is why you look spiritually beautiful.
I live around you. That is why you are always so careful.

God, You deserve my thanks.

I don’t deserve your thanks. It is your grandmother, your mother and your father who deserve your thanks. Go and thank them.

I will. God, before I leave You, I wish to tell You one thing. Since You have always been very kind to me You deserve my special thanks. My grandmother, mother and father will get ordinary thanks from me.

God smiles and cries with joy.

Max's conversation with God

God, what is Your real name?

My real name is Max.

That’s my name, I won’t give You my name.

Then what name do you want Me to have?

I want You to have the name Water.

Water! That’s a fine name. From now on if you can call Me by that name, I shall respond.

God, I’ll tell You a secret. My mother has taught me that the other name of Water is Life.

Now My child, I’ll tell you another secret. The other name of Life is God.

Can I tell my mother Your secret?

Certainly you can.

God, I really thank You for telling me a top secret.

Stephanie's conversation with God

God, how old are You?

I am one year old.

Only one year old! Then I am much older than You. I am four years old.

I am so happy to hear that. Now tell me, sweetest Stephanie, do you love Me?

Yes, I love You, but I also love my Guru.

That is fine. I love your Guru too. He and I are one. He is My son. Shall I tell you a secret, Stephanie?

Please, please tell me.

Your Guru loves you more than you love him.

Never, I won't believe You, God. I love my Guru more than he loves me.

All right, will you believe Me if I say that I love you more than you love Me.

Never. I Love You more than You love me.

You are wrong, Stephanie.

No, God, You are wrong. God, You know that I pray to my Guru everyday. He comes to see me only two times a year. So You see, I love him more than he loves me. I pray to You everyday. But You have come to see me only today for the first time. So You see, I love You more than You love me.

My sweetest child Stephanie, every night your Guru and I come to see you while you are fast asleep.

Every night You and my Guru come to see me! I am going to tell my mommy. Mommy!

With His proudest smile God disappears.

Nichole's conversation with God

God says: “Nichole, you are so happy today. What is the matter? What makes you so happy?”

God, today my Guru has come to my house. He has blessed me. That is why I am so happy.

Where does your Guru live?

He lives in America. He comes to Jamaica two or three times a year. My Guru has come to my house. My Guru has blessed me today. My Guru!

What do you feel, Nichole, when your Guru blesses you?

When my Guru blesses me, I feel that I have become as good as he is. When I look at myself I feel that I have become as great as my Guru is.

I am so proud of you, Nichole. Now tell Me, do you want to be always as good and great as your Guru is?

Yes, yes, please tell me how I can be always as good and great as my Guru is.

Then every day when you meditate before your Guru’s picture, try to feel that your Guru constantly speaks to Me about you.

God, that is extremely easy. From today I shall feel that my Guru constantly speaks to You about me.

Then I tell you for sure that you can be as good and great as your Guru.

Oh God, I thank You, I thank You.

Melanie's conversation with God

Can You help me, God?

Certainly I can. What is bothering you, Melanie?

You know my Guru is very nice, he is very kind to me; yet I feel shy to speak to him. My brother has no shyness. He speaks to the Guru without any shyness. He even looks into our Guru’s eyes.

So, you want to get rid of your shyness?

Yes, God. That is what I want.

Tell me, do you have any doll?

Yes, I have many, many.

Then today you give a special name to one of your dolls. You will call that particular doll by the name Guru. Every day you talk and talk with your doll Guru. Then when you see your man Guru you will have no shyness, for your doll Guru and man Guru are one and the same,

Thank You, thank You, God.

Gary's conversation with God

God, I wish to tell You a secret. Tell me that You won’t tell it to anyone.

Yes, Gary. I promise to you that I will not tell a thing to anybody about your secret.

Sure? Will You keep Your promise?

Absolutely.

God, my Guru has told me that in my last life I was the father of my grandfather and that is why my grandfather and I love each other so much. God, can You tell me like my Guru, who I was in my last life?

Your Guru has already told you about that. Since I have to tell you the same thing, I shall get no credit from you. I wish to surprise you by telling you about your future. I wish to tell you that you will become a very good friend of your Guru. He will be your best friend on earth.

Will he be my best friend?

Yes, he will.

God, You have told me such a nice thing. I thank You not once but one hundred times.

My Yogi-Friends

1.

The other day I interviewed three God-realised souls: X, Y and Z. I said to X, “Please tell me what happened when you met God for the first time.”

When I met God for the first time, He immediately fell in love with me. But I doubted. I hesitated to bask in the infinite effulgence of His Light. I suspected. I suspected my inner vision.

I said to Y, “Please tell me what happened when you met God for the first time.”

Because of my long forgotten self, God shed endless tears of joy when I met Him for the first time. I kissed and kissed His Feet of endless Compassion.

I said to Z, “Please tell me what happened when you met God for the first time.”

When I met God for the first time, with His Eyes He immediately fed my hunger of millennia. I fed Him with the heart’s endless cry.

Now the three God-realised souls said to me: “You have interviewed us. You have to now tell us what happened when you met God for the first time.”

I was more than ready and eager to tell my Yogi-Friends about my first meeting with God. But God immediately commanded my silence and demanded my surrender. After some time, God on my behalf said to my Yogi-Friends; “When he and I met for the first time, we stabbed each other. Yes we stabbed each other. Stabbed with what? With love, love and love. Is it not true?”

“God. what am I going to do with You? You are telling a lie. I stabbed You with my brooding ignorance. You stabbed me with Your ever-compassionate and all-liberating love."

God said: “No sir, you have totally forgotten about our first meeting. What am I going to do with your feeble memory?”

"You are my Lord of immediate Forgiveness. You are my Lord of eternal Concern. You are my Lord of constant Compassion."

2.

Six months ago I had a wonderful conversation with three Yogi-Friends of mine. I was curious to know what they thought of their disciples. I wanted to know if they were satisfied with their disciples.

My Yogi-Friend A said: “Well, I think that in this life, I have made only one serious, nay, irreparable mistake in accepting disciples. I really don’t know whether I am their master or they are my masters. I am mightily lucky that God has told me that this is my last incarnation."

My Yogi-Friend B said: “Well I don’t and can’t blame God for having such unfortunate disciples. It is I who wanted to have hundreds of disciples. Now each disciple of mine is a real headache, a serious problem and a heavy burden. I thank God that this is absolutely my last incarnation. No more shall I make friends with Mother-Earth.”

My Yogi-Friend C said: “Well, in no way can I blame my disciples. I have not been able to please them. How can I expect them to please me? I wish to come back into the world once again with more peace, more bliss, more light and more power so that I can please them, that is to say, illumine their stark bondage and abysmal ignorance. In this life I must say that I am a most deplorable failure.”

Now, my Yogi-Friends asked me what I thought of my own disciples. I was more than eager to tell my friends what I felt about my disciples, but my Supreme in no time sealed my mouth. Five minutes later on my behalf He said: “He does not have a single disciple. They are all My disciples. Since they are all My disciples, he has nothing to say about My disciples. Let Me tell you about My disciples. In the morning they cry for their realisation. In the afternoon they cry for humanity’s liberation. In the evening they cry for My full manifestation on earth.”

"My Lord, may I have the honour to tell You something on behalf of Your disciples?"

“Yes, you may. But don’t contradict Me, don’t embarrass Me, My son.”

"On behalf of Your disciples, To You, My Lord, I offer gratitude, constant gratitude and eternal gratitude."

3.

Yesterday I had a splendid talk with five Yogi-Friends of mine. I asked them if God was ever displeased with them after they had won their realisation.

My Yogi-Friend A said: "O, yes, God has been displeased with me quite a few times. He wants me to discard all my disciples. He wants me to have only that person as my disciple who is all love, all devotion and all surrender to me.”

My Yogi-Friend B said: “God has been displeased with me many times. He says that I am incredibly indulgent to my disciples. He wants me to act like a commander.”

My Yogi-Friend C said: “Twice God has been extremely displeased with me. Once when I said that my disciples are worse than useless and once when I said I want to leave the earth. ”

My Yogi-Friend D said: “God has not only been displeased with me on many occasions but also has scolded me mercilessly a good many times. He says that I am a real fool. In my Boat there are many insincere passengers. The Boat is heavily loaded. According to God, there is every possibility of the Boat capsizing because of thunder-doubt, dragon-worries and shower-fears of the insincere passengers. He also says that the very few sincere seekers that I have in the Boat unfortunately will have the same fate as the useless passengers have. He wants me to tell the unaspiring passengers to leave my Boat immediately.”

My Yogi-Friend E said: “I badly displease God when I cry to Him to nullify and to forgive the consequences of my disciples’ misdeeds. I also considerably displease Him when I embrace the punishment caused by the disciples’ misdeeds. Otherwise, God has been fairly pleased with me.”

Now, my Yogi-Friends asked me whether God has ever been displeased with me or not. Before I ventured to open my mouth, God opened His Mouth on my behalf. “I utilise all My time in thinking of him. I have no time left to be displeased with him.”

"My Lord, may I say something?"

"Certainly. But be sure to see eye to eye with Me."

"Of course. My Lord of eternal Compassion, Your time is supremely precious. My Lord, You are doing the right thing. Out of Your infinite Bounty, You are not wasting Your time by showing Your Face of displeasure to me, the eternal culprit."

"I see you have not listened to My express request. This time, I must punish you."

"Oh Lord of my life, Oh Lord of my soul, Oh Lord of my goal, Your strong punishment I always deserve. Your true punishment, I always pray for. To me, nothing is sweeter, nothing is dearer, nothing is more intimate, nothing is more illumining and fulfilling than Your kindest punishment."

"My son, I wish I could be as earthly clever and heavenly wise as you are."

"My Lord, don’t worry, I shall grant You that boon. Just allow me to touch Your ever-forgiving Feet."

"Touch My Feet. You can pinch My Feet. You can bite My Feet. You can kiss My Feet."

"My Lord, I am not going to pinch Your Feet. I am not going to bite Your Feet. I am not going to kiss Your Feet. I am going to devour Your Feet of ceaseless Compassion."

"All right. You have now devoured My Feet. What about your boon to Me? When are you going to make Me as clever and as wise as you are?"

"My Lord, right now." Having placed my Lord’s Feet on the life-breath of my soul I said: “Amen.”

I am never happy except when I am crying crying to the Supreme for the Supreme.

My Avatar-Friends

I.

Two months ago, I visited two Avatar-Friends of mine in heaven. Both of them were exceedingly delighted to see me because for a long time I have not been in touch with them owing to my heavy pressure of work on earth. They said to me: “What have you brought for us from earth?”

I said to them: “What do you want from earth? I shall give you anything you want of earth.”

They said: “Give us earth’s gratitude. Give us, at least, earth’s aspiration.”

I said: “Give me your heaven’s forgiveness, I shall give you my earth’s gratitude. Give me your heaven’s concern, I shall give you my earth’s aspiration.”

They said: “Earth does not deserve heaven’s forgiveness and concern.”

I said: “In that case heaven does not deserve earth’s gratitude and aspiration.”

All of a sudden, the Supreme came in. He said: “Here is my assessment of earth and heaven. Earth is good. Heaven is great. I need earth. But heaven needs Me.”

I said to the Supreme: “Father and Mother of mine, why do You take always my side? What do others think of You? Do they not think that You are partial to me?”

"The more they think that I am partial to you, my son, the more I get the opportunity to enjoy your unconditionally surrendered breath."

"Father, it is not I who have surrendered to your Transcendental Light, but it is your Light that has surrendered to my ignorance-sea."

"It is all the same, I have you and you have Me. What more do We need?"

"Father, my life is your Consolation. My life is your Compassion."

"No, my son, your life is my Concern. Your life is my Manifestation."

II.

Last night I went to pay a short visit to an Avatar-Friend of mine in heaven. He was overjoyed to see me and greeted me most soulfully. We smiled and smiled and smiled. Smiling over, I asked him how he was. He said: “I am extremely happy here, for at long last, I am enjoying the perfect Bliss of heaven. Again, I am extremely sorry that almost all my disciples on earth have gone to the dogs. They have no aspiration. They are wedded to all kinds of temptations. How do you yourself feel on earth? How are your disciples doing?”

"I feel fine. The Supreme has once and for all told me that I have no disciples. All those who consider themselves to be my disciples are His disciples. So I am free. I have no problems whatsoever. Only I am a bit tired."

"I wish to add something to your fatigue. You are depressed and disheartened."

"Perhaps."

"Brother, dearest brother, earth will never be ready for us."

"You are right. Since earth is not going to be ready for us, I am trying to feel the life breath of earth at its own level. Furthermore, I am trying to make myself ready for earth."

"Stop, stop! Come back soon. End your play on earth and come here and enjoy the perfect Bliss of heaven. We need your presence badly. What does God say about your leaving the earth for heaven?"

"He says…"

"What does He say?"

"He says…"

"What does He say?"

"He says…"

"Tell me, for God’s sake, what He says about your leaving the earth for heaven."

"He says that you and I love each other deeply."

"Wait, I shall ask God tomorrow about you."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"I need you. Heaven needs you. We all need you here. Come back soon and this time for good."

I smiled. My dear Avatar-Friend cried. There was a real battle between his cry and my smile.

1.

Man is Infinity’s Heart.
Man is Eternity’s Breath.
Man is Immortality’s Life.