THE THREE GUNAS:  THE CONSCIENCE OF A STONE

The three gunas, qualities and peculiarities of the Nature (Prakriti) and of a simple and meaningless stone …

The title …Why do I have chosen a so provocative title … the conscience of a stone …
In the common imaginary, people do not think a stone has a conscience. We deem it a thing without life, of no use
However, this title gives me the opportunity to disclose something which is at heart to me …
The idea of separation, of feeling like being separated from Life … from Nature … causes intolerances and racialism that precisely originate from the  unconsciousness of the fact that everything is made of the same composition …  basically every matter has a similar composition … even though with different doses.
Many Centuries before Christ, in Greece, philosophers and naturalists were divided into two different schools of minds: one considered the matter continuous, or divisible, in parts little and little, to infinity. The second school of mind considered the matter discontinuous, made of very small particles “finished” or indivisible, the atoms (atomos = indivisible).
However, before proceeding, let us see what the Gunas are.
The three Gunas are:
SATTVA, rhythm, knowledge. It is used to enlight, white, noble, spiritual, conscious
RAJAS, activity, it provokes motion and it is used to bring into action, red, active, mobile, passionate
TAMAS, inertness, statics and it is used to confine and to strengthen. It is black, solid, lethargic, static.
The word GUNA means different things. The Samkhya philosophers confer it the meaning of “quality” or “characteristics”.
These are the three fundamental ingredients of which Prakriti is made, in an inseparable manner, so as heat is the fundamental and inseparable feature of the fire and that it cannot ever be divided from it (fire without heat could not be fire). Prakriti (called even Mula-prakriti) and the harmonic mixture of the three GUNAS are the same thing. Let’s define them more precisely.
The definition of SATTVA is rhythm, or stable life, life that maintains itself, or even the inner capability to maintain itself following its “rhythm” or “purpose” of life. It is thoughtless, bright and it can be assimilated to the colour white.
The definition of Rajas is activity and sense of moving, to transform oneself, to go on toward other stages of existence. It is stimulating and movable, it can be assimilated to the colour red.
The definition of Tamas is inactivity, or stage of non-moving, next - therefore - to destroy the shape that the matter undertakes due to its influence. It is heavy, dark and opaque, it can be assimilated to colour black.
As I have already explained, every object, person or… vegetable is made of the same substance … the same basis but differently conglobed … with different doses and different …recipes.
To understand this concept is very important …
Should men … women understand all of this … no intolerances and racism would be … and this would change tremendously our world … as it is intended at this age.
This understanding of Life shows us the illusion of being “up” or “down”, “more” or “less”, “fine” or “ugly”.
As a man  who  belong to the animal Kingdom, I feel myself superior to the animal because its conglobation of cells seems to be different from mine and, consequently, I believe myself superior to another man who is somatically different from me, but a little bit similar to our brothers animals … Our ego catch every difference as a by-product of Nature.
Through this ignorance to belong to a “whole”, unique, we come across to intolerance and racialism, impatience and illness.
The yoga philosophy itself states that any being, animal or thing, vegetal or human owns three qualities.
If we understand this we eliminate all of the many discriminations.
The human being devoted to spirituality  and to raise himself is mainly made of Sattva - which gets him spiritual- , of an adequate Rajas -that helps him to rise on high - and of a little Tamas that consent to strengthen his spiritual search.
Or with the components in the opposite doses the human being is attracted by the material
And the said inferior animal?
The one who is our way to the Nature?
With much regret of the meat eaters, it will be itself made by Sattva that gives him the consciousness of being an animal, with more Rajas should it be a vigorous being or with more Tamas in case it is a sort of sloth.
And so? Let’s come to the point. The nucleus of this topic. What is a stone made of?
Let us see … It is certainly Tamasic, due to its composition will own much Tamas that gives it compactness, made obviously of a solid matter … it does not move, at least in a visible way … therefore we are sure that there is much Tamas. However, even if we do not see it changing … we are sure that even a stone modifies itself … so, there is a little Rajas … the moving.
And, finally, what overturns more who is sure to be at the centre of the universe, even of that so much of Sattva that enables the consciousness of being a stone. Otherwise it should be another thing! It should melt with the contact of other objects …
We can even apply it at the vegetable kingdom.
Therefore, at the light of this knowledge who can be proud for belonging to a sort of a chosen people? Who can be proud to believe himself greater or more important than other? I am at the top … more noble… more sattvic …
However … If we belong to an infinite “whole” and we all are made of the same components of this “whole” … how could we think that someone is up or down of all this infinite?
What can be said to be back or forward in the infinite?
When this concept will be deeply inside our soul … then much of our mental sphere will change … when the unit of the “Whole” will be realised, all of tinsels will drop and we will fully understand the sense of Life.

 mahamandaleshwar  yogacharini pandit
EMY BLESIO
Translation by Nuccia Cerini