SATYARTH PRAKASH - THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

Weekly Sermon by Acharya Vedshrami, Resident Priest, Greater Atlanta Vedic Temple

English Translation by Raj Bhalla, PhD

Noble and Ignoble deeds.

(1) A man should be able to distinguish, between, noble, intermediate and ignoble deeds and should abandon the latter two, and should embrace the first one. He should take note of the fact that the mind bears the pain or pleasure due to the bad or good mental deeds. The tongue bears the pain and pleasure of verbal deeds (good or bad speech). The Body bears the pain and pleasure of the acts committed by the physical body.

(2) The man who does with his body evil deeds such as theft, adultery, murder of good men, is born in the stationary bodies of trees and plants. He who does evil deeds through tongue, gets the bodies of the birds, animals (because although these can chirp and speak but their speech does not make sense). He who does evil deeds through mind, gets the body of low human beings.

Sattvic, Rajasik & Tamasic - three-fold nature of the mind

(3) Whichever quality predominates in one’s body, that quality molds the soul according to its own nature.

(4) When the soul is luminous with knowledge, it is at that time possessing Sattva guna (or bright or superior quality), when ignorance prevails it is occupied with Tamas (or dark or lowest quality). When attachment or aversion prevails, then soul is occupied with Rajas (intermediate quality). These three qualities or nature exist in all the worldly objects including humans, animals, birds, vegetables and nonliving objects also, because nature is made of these three qualities and every this is made from nature.

(5) We can distinguish these three qualities of Sattava, Rajas and Tamas gunas in the following way:

(a) When there is cheerfulness in heart, peace in mind and transparency of intellect, we should know that Sattava guna is predominant, and rajas and tamas gunas are suppressed.

(b) When there is a feeling of pain and mind is agitated and it is running at this or that and it does not find rest, it should be known that the rajas guna is predominant and sat and tamas are suppressed.

(c) When one is engrossed in worldly pleasures, when the power of discrimination fails, when sensuality gets an upper hand, when intellect gets blunt, when nothing is discernible, we should conclude that tamas is predominant and sattva and rajas are suppressed.

Now the effects of these three qualities are noble, intermediate and ignoble. We describe them here in detail.

(6) The effect of Sattva is Vedic study, righteous living, increase of knowledge, love of cleanliness, control of senses, good deeds, spiritual contemplation and meditation.

(7) When Rajas is predominant, then in the beginning there is delight in undertaking of any new projects, then want of firmness, commission of bad acts, and continual indulgence in sensual pleasures.

(8) When Tamas is predominant, there is increase of covetousness (which is the root cause of all sins), extreme indolence, stupidity and sleepiness, discontents, cruelty, atheism (i.e., lack of faith in God and the Veda), distraction of mind, lack of mental concentration, love for begging and vacantness of mind.

(9) When one feels shame, hesitation or fear, in having done an act or in doing an act or in going to do an act, one should know that it is a sign of increase of Tamas guna.

(10) When there is eagerness to acquire great fame in this world, and does not stop giving gifts to those who flatter him, poor though he may be, let him know that Rajas is predominant.

(11) When there is desire for knowledge no matter where it comes from, love for acceptance of good things, no shyness in righteous actions, feeling of delight in virtue, it is a mark of Sattva guna.

(12) Lastly, the craving for sensual gratification is characteristic of Tamas, desire for the acquisition of worldly pleasures of Rajas, and practice of righteous actions in life is characteristic of sattva guna. Sattva guna is better than Rajas, and Rajas is better than Tamas.