Welcome to the world of Gunas. To know and understand the Gunas, it is necessary to go beyond them. A Nirguna person is one who is not affected by the Guņas. Sattva cannot produce ego in him. Rajas cannot bind him to work; Tamas cannot evoke attachment in him; scarcity of any kind cannot make him desire that thing nor attainment of any object can create a like or dislike in him for that object. Greed lives far away from him. Sand, stones or gold all are alike to him.
We (Saguni) who are under the effect of Gunas i.e. who are sometimes Sätvika, sometimes Rajasika and sometimes Tamsika, will never venture to a place where we are not respected. But to a Nirguna person, it makes no difference if he is respected or not. His behaviour is consistent with people, both, who have criticized him and who have praised him. One may be friendly towards him or have feelings of animosity towards him. His attitude towards all is alike. The Gunas can make us, the "Sagunis" dance to their tune, but not him.
To reach such a state it is necessary that we suppress the Tamas Guna by Rajas Gana and then submit the Rajas Guna in us to the Sattva Guna and intensify the Sattva to such an extent that it becomes pure Sattva that it leaves all the other three - Sattva, Rajas and Tamas Guņas behind and become "Nirguna". This can be made possible by the practice of Yoga.
This world with its variety is born due to the Gunas. As the three primary colours - red, blue & yellow - can produce the variety of colours we see around, in the same way, only these three Gunas - Sattva, Rajas and Tamas can produce the material world with all its variety. In this world whatever living or non-living things are, they are all caused by the Gunas. Thus, if it is a stone or an animal, a thought or a behaviour, a feeling or an attitude, everything has the three Gunas in it.
The three Gunas always live together. One of them is predominant at one time and the other at another time. The remaining two are always supportive of the predominant Guna, e.g. If Sattva is dominant in you at a particular time, then Rajas and Tamas will support Sattva.
Prakrti is their field of work and our minds is their centre. Just as the thread is hidden in the necklace of beads, so are the Gunas hidden in the Prakrti. By bending or breaking or joining the thread, the beads can be given the shape of a toy or a showpiece or any other thing, so also by various combination of Gunas can Prakrti produce this material world with its variety.
What are these Gunas which are capable of so many things? What are their characteristics and how do people with different predominating Gunas behave? Let us just try to understand all that.
First of all, let us know about Tamas. Darkness, ignorance and attachment are characteristics of Tamas. A Tamasika person is a bit too preoccupied with his body. Thus, he sleeps also too much. When he is awake, he is indulging in sensual pleasures. Besides these, if there is anything else that he does, it is waiting to be in the mood, in other words, he is lazy.
Rajas is known by attraction and obsession. A Rajasika person works very hard to attain the object of attraction. He wants that he should be respected in the world, that there must always be pleasure and happiness at home and in family, that he should have and maintain, name and fame in society. Thus, he is always bound by selfish action. It is very natural for a Rajasika person to be aggressive, distracted, unstable and angry.
Sattva is characterised by peace, happiness and knowledge. A Sattvika person has an attitude of tranquility, has a large store of knowledge, feels happy, his face shines with radiance and glows. Worldly displeasures or pains cannot affect him very much. He is thus not bound by his ego.
It is possible to replace attachment, sloth and greed with knowledge and happiness, i.e. it is possible to suppress Tamas and Rajas and establish the rule of Sattva, if we keep the reins of our thought-horses in our hands. But even after we have learnt that the world is what you think it is – is it possible for human mind to think of only good things, maintain only Sattvika thoughts in the mind?
The human mind itself is a Kalpataru. All of us are all the while residing under it. Whatever we think, finally takes shape. That is why Gurudeva Shri Yogendraji always used to say "Keep your mind and thoughts always pure. Even an iota of doubt makes the mind impure." Only such a person, who has gone beyond the Gunas can impart such knowledge. Shri Yogendraji was beyond the effect of the Gunas. He was "Nirguna." It is true that to-day his body made of the elements is not amidst us, but his life will always be a source of inspiration and learning for everyone.