The entire material existence consist of three main gunas;

Satva, Rajas & Tamas

The gunas are defined and detailed in Samkhya, one of the six schools of classical Indian philosophy. Each of the three gunas has its own distinctive characteristics and it is believed that everything is made up of these three.

It is the relative strength of each gunas in us that makes the difference. Tamas is the state of ignorance, inertia and indifference. Tamas is lowest, heaviest, slowest, and most dull (for example, a stone or a lump of earth). It is devoid of the energy of the rajas and the brightness of sattva.

Rajas is desire-driven, frenzied activity that arises from selfishness and ego. If a person or thing tends to be extremely active, excitable, or passionate, that person or thing could be said to have a preponderance of rajas. It is contrasted with the quality of tamas, which is the quality of inactivity, darkness, and laziness.

Sattva is the pristine state of clam that comes from contemplation and absorption on the higher side. In sattva, the mind is calm, intellect sharp and actions brilliant. As long as you are under the influence of the three gunas you are bound to the world. However you do not belong to the gunas and their manifestations. You are Divine. Understand how the gunas function. Declare war on tamas. Refine rajas. Nurture and cultivate sattva.

Sattva is tranquility of mind when you function at your best, a state that all executives, sports persons and professionals in every field of activity strive for – being in the ‘zone’, performing as peak levels.

Life’s mission is to go beyond the three gunas and get liberated from the traumatic cycle of birth, death, decay and sorrow. You are born in the world only to attain Immortality. We in this present life should aim at least at attaining the stage where sattva guna is dominant.