When the mode of goodness reigns supreme, consciousness becomes clear, says Ajit Kumar Bishnoi
From the Bhagavad Gita, we learn that we are made up of three modes of the material nature, which are sattvaguna (goodness), rajoguna (passion), and tamoguna (darkness), and these always compete for supremacy. (14.10)
In this article, I will discuss what happens when the mode of goodness reigns supreme and how to strengthen it. When sattvaguna dominates, consciousness becomes clear, and we know how crucial that it because that is the prism through which we see everything. For example, our consciousness tells us whether to follow the difficult path of dharma or to take shortcuts in life. Of course it goes without saying that one who follows dharma is successful in life.
When the sattvaguna is in ascendency, we are able to exercise a lot of self-control. Will that not be idealIJ For example, someone is offering us drinks for free and we refuse. Or we can stop ourselves from overeating or eat only foods which benefit us. How about turning away from what pollutes our consciousnessIJ
Believe it or not, the mode of goodness promotes fearlessness, and we know how fear harms us. If one factor which spoils our life like nothing else, it is fearing. When goodness reigns supreme, there is plenty of awareness in our senses. We know what to see, what to eat, what to hear, what to say, etc. Will that not be niceIJ
It becomes easy to practise detachment, and who does not know that most of our troubles are due to attachments, be it with one’s body, wealth, power, fame, etcIJ And sattvaguna is the platform from which God can be realised — the ultimate achievement. When the lower two modes, ie passion and darkness dominate, one distances oneself from God — the ultimate loss.
Following are some tried and tested ways to enhance sattvaguna in ourselves. The first one is very common. We try to eat foods which are in goodness like grains, fruits and vegetables; we see what is in goodness like natural scenery; hear what is good; we speak what is pleasing; we help/serve others etc.
The next one can be called cocooning, in which we restrict our thoughts to years gone by when we did something nice, used our time productively, succeeded in our efforts, etc. Similarly, we can do the exercise of accepting ourselves. Remember, we are a sum total of what we have been. Yes, we all have faults but we are not proud of them; we are aware of them; and are working on rectifying them. Then, all of us have our strengths. Feel good about them. For example, I am able to write spiritual articles and books. This gives me enormous satisfaction. Similarly, artists can feel good about their artwork.
The third way is very important because it connects both the past and present. This is to realise that we have been doing our duties responsibly and are determined to do so in future also. Such thoughts fill one with a lot of goodness. Then, doing satsang — company of good persons — increases sattvaguna in us. If the persons we interact with are spiritual, it is still better; their spirituality rubs on us.
Believe it or not, some simple pleasures are conducive to goodness. These are: Playing with children, reading what is useful, smelling flowers, singing melodiously, saying words of appreciation, showing gratitude, enjoying fresh cool breeze, walking leisurely in a park, swimming, dancing gracefully, gardening, etc.
I’m sure readers have got a fairly good idea that we have many choices to help ourselves. Finally, I must state that the mode of goodness is the best of the lot, but ultimately this must be transcended also to achieve liberation — the real goal of human life.
Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com