longer ‘in love?’ The truth is that experience
was not actual love, but the happiness of
rajas. That influence creates, but does not
sustain. The relationship created through
the influence of rajas can only be sustained
by sattva, which is a different experience of
love. The happiness of rajas is wonderful in
the beginning ~ but later fades. It becomes
stale, distasteful, and even repulsive. Our
‘favorite’ song has us dancing and singing,
and we play it over and over because it gives
us a sense of happiness. But after some
time we may come to the point where if
we hear it again we may scream. The thing
that we got last week or last month that so
excited us no longer holds our interest. The
happiness of rajas, so nice in the beginning,
fades away. Therefore, influenced by rajas
we always seek something new.
And for some people happiness is found
in a bottle, or a needle, or by sleeping half
the day, by acts of violence, theft or other
kinds of degraded and licentious behavior,
and “being bad.” This is the happiness of
tamas. Doing as little as possible, sleeping
12 or more hours per day, being ‘laid-back’
and other forms of laziness, also bring a
type of happiness for the person under
the influence of tamas. The happiness of
tamas is found in illusion, and in distorted
consciousness, often causing people to
engage in acts that they lament about later.
Like the happiness of rajas, the happiness
of tamas is fleeting ~ gone the next day,
but often leaving one in pain, regret and
depleted health.
Happiness in the sattva is the opposite of
that of rajas. The happiness of sattva is
experienced at the end of the activity, not
in the beginning. Indeed, in the beginning
the effort may be difficult, painful or distasteful, but gradually it becomes more and
more satisfying. Hatha yoga offers a good
example of this. Initially, stretching muscles
that have been inactive is painful, but those
who keep with it later find that the same
stretch is very satisfying. Hatha yoga brings
with it a sense of inner happiness and wellbeing. This is the happiness of sattva, and
it is the effect of sattva that makes this
practice an immensely popular activity all
around the world. Sattvic activities also
awaken one to a higher understanding of
the self beyond the body. The happiness of
sattva is also achieved by doing one’s duty,
fulfilling one’s obligations, striving for morality, doing what is right, and in the pursuit
of spiritual awakening. The happiness of
sattva is experienced within, not through
the senses or distorted consciousness. And
in contrast to the others, the happiness of
sattva is sustained; it does not disappear
the next day or the next week. It is the only
actual happiness of the material world.
Our modern society is characterized predominantly by rajas and tamas, and it is the
influences and results of these two gunas
that generate most of the problems of our
modern world. If we understand and accept
this explanation of human nature, the
solution to society’s many problems are not
difficult to find. The wholesale solution to a
myriad of problems is achieved when we
stop creating them ~ by increasing sattva
and decreasing tamas.