Richard, my favorite teaching about the gunas is in Ch 4, vs 35 of Maharishi's commentary on the Gita. He explains that delusion in the state of tamas guna can be overcome by an increase in rajas; delusion in rajo guna can be overcome by an increase in sat guna; but delusion in the state of sattva, which is Arjuna's situation, can only be overcome by transcending.
For me this teaching goes well with Maharishi's idea that the mind can't have a mood on an abstract basis. What this means to me is that our moods are already present in our physiology, and then the moods get expressed in behavior. In this sense we have a good amount of control over our moods just by taking good care of our body: staying rested, eating healthy foods, getting adequate exercise. I find that when my body is cruising along in a settled state, then my moods are pretty even also. On Monday, December 30, 2013 12:00 AM, Richard Williams <[email protected]> wrote: The Bhagavad Gita is concerned with three constituents: sattva, rajas and tamas. The idea is to transcend these three qualities. According to MMY: "The authorship of action does not in reality belong to the "I". It is a mistake to understand that "I" do this, "I" experience this and "I" know this. All action is performed by the three gunas born of Nature." The implications of these passages indicate that the nature of the mind is appreciated as it is, separate from activity. The "goal" of TM does not consist in acieving anything or reaching anything, but simply in recognizing what already is the case, that the "I" is essentially uninvolved with activity. Here, the ONLY criterion is internal: is the self cognized as independent of action - the causal nexus. "The Vedas concern is with the three gunas. Be without the three gunas O Arjuna, freed from duality, ever possesses of Self." According to Anthony Campbell, free will is "A choice, either determined or not. If it is determined, it is not free. But if it is determined, to what are we to ascribe it? Would a freedom based on mere chance be an alternative to causal determinism? The solution to this question is simple: incorporate into your model of free will, the mechanics of causal contact itself, contact all related forms of information in proper proportion, past, present, and future, i.e. universal causal contact based on contact with Being vis-a-vis TM." That is to say, Campbell quoting Schrodinger: "Every conscious mind that has ever said or felt "I" IS the person who controls the motions of the atoms according to the laws of nature." So, there is authorship of action; causal contact; and free will. "But he who knows the truth about the divisions of the gunas and their actions, O mighty armed, knowing that it is the gunas which act upon the gunas, remains unattached." Works cited: 'Seven States of Consciousness' by Anthony Campbell, M.D. Harper & Row, 1974 p. 181 "On the Bhagavad Gita" by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi International SRM Publications, 1965 Verse: 27; p. 220; Verse 45: p. 90: Verse 14; p. 259.
