What role do the modes play in the soul’s journey through material existence both in terms of the desire to enjoy separate and the facility to learn lessons?

Podcast:

Question:
Why exactly do the modes (gunas) exist? What role do they play in the divine plan—especially in relation to the soul’s desire to enjoy separately from God and in the soul being taught lessons?

Answer:
This question touches on multiple layers of understanding. To begin with, no single element within creation serves all possible functions. Things work gradually, systematically, and most importantly, integrally. The modes of material nature—sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance)—are an essential part of the structure of material existence, and they operate under the supervision of the Supersoul (Paramatma).

1. The Illusory Setting for the Soul’s Desires

The modes create the illusory setting in which the soul can attempt to enjoy independently of God. One could compare this to a virtual reality experience—like a high-end video game or a captivating movie. The soul becomes absorbed in this illusion, engaging with the world as if it were real, much like a gamer becomes engrossed in a virtual environment.

Just as:

• A game has a designer and a platform,
• A player has agency within a designed environment,
• And the immersion depends on the player’s engagement,

similarly:

• God designs the material world through Maya (illusory energy),
• The modes shape the interactive environment,
• And the soul chooses how deeply to engage.

In this sense, Dr. Richard Thompson (Sadaputa Dasa) rightly titled one of his books “Maya: The World as Virtual Reality.” The analogy fits well—this material world is an intricately designed “game” that facilitates both experimentation and education.

2. Individual Engagement Varies

People interact with this world in different ways—just as some might play a game for minutes and others for hours or days. Similarly, some souls are more deeply entangled in material life, while others may gradually begin to detach and seek higher purpose.

Factors affecting immersion include:

• Personal desires and karma,
• Social and physical environments,
• Responsibilities and relationships, which may help pull someone out of the illusion.

3. Modes as a Holistic Experience

To fully understand the function of the modes, we must recognize their multi-dimensional role:

• At one level, they shape the internal consciousness (thoughts, emotions, tendencies).
• At another, they shape the external world (the kinds of people, situations, and environments we attract or are placed into).

For example, the pixels of a video screen create the visual field, while the design of the game determines the storyline and interactivity. Similarly, sattva, rajas, and tamas color both the inner mind and the outer world.

4. Not All Modes Are Bad

Although modes are part of illusion, they are not inherently bad:

• Sattva guna can be constructive, leading to clarity, discipline, and knowledge.
• Rajo guna fuels action and ambition, though it also leads to restlessness.
• Tamo guna brings inertia and ignorance, but even it serves a purpose (e.g., inducing rest or forgetfulness where needed).

Even in the realm of video games, not all games are harmful—some can be educational or skill-enhancing. Similarly, the modes can have both uplifting and degrading effects depending on how they are engaged.

5. Dual Purpose of the World

The material world, shaped by the modes, serves two broad purposes:

• Experimentation – allowing souls to explore independent enjoyment.
• Rectification / Redirection – facilitating learning, purification, and ultimately, reconnection with God.

The modes enable both purposes. They are not the sole agents of either bondage or liberation, but rather instruments in a larger divine setup designed for free-willed souls to journey toward realization.

Conclusion

Rather than seeing the modes as a singular force that does everything, we should understand them as a crucial part of a sophisticated system. They are tools within God’s plan, enabling both illusion and enlightenment—depending on the soul’s choices.

They don’t act independently, but in coordination with karma, the Supersoul, and the desires of the soul, to create the multi-layered experience that we call life in the material world.