Is our temperament determined by the modes?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Now, whatever temperament we have, isn’t it determined by the modes? Yes, it is. But we see Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita very clearly states two things. From 14.6 to 8, he talks about the characteristics of three modes.
And then in 14.10, he states that the modes are competing within people and he is not talking about bhakti at all over here. In the whole 14th chapter, bhakti comes only at the end in 14.26. So, he is giving a simple analysis of material nature without talking about any intervention of bhakti within that. And then he gives, so then he gives in 14.11, he gives the characteristics when sattva guna is prominent.
In 12, he gives characteristics when raja guna is prominent, then he gives when tamo guna is prominent. And Vishwanath Chakravarthy in his commentary over here explains that by Krishna describing these characteristics of the modes so that people can choose the appropriate mode. And by choosing one mode consistently, they can improve the content of that mode within their consciousness and that’s how they can become more and more situated in that mode.
So, a hardworking person by choosing to be lazy one day, two day, three day, four days, five days can increase the tamasic content and become very tamasic after six months. On the other hand, tamasic person by choosing to work regularly, by choosing to work diligently can come out of tamo guna on a regular basis. So, the modes are not something which control us absolutely.
The modes are more like a three like we could say if you come to a road where there are three paths ahead and one path is sloping downwards, one path is sloping upwards, one path is sloping way way upwards. So, it will be relatively easier to go on the path sloping downwards. But it is not necessary to go on that path.
It is not necessary. Relatively it will be easier. So, if we have one mode prominent within us, then acting according to that mode is the path of least resistance.
And that is the path which we will most likely take if we are not conscious. Researchers did a survey that quite often when people are not aware of what they are doing then so for example if a person has one healthy food, say some salad or some vegetable and some unhealthy food such as fast food some burger or something like that. Now, if they are conscious of what they are eating, they will often choose the salad because it is healthier.
But if they are just talking on phone with someone or they are surfing something on the net and they are not really aware, then whatever food they consider to be enjoyable that is their definition of enjoyment, they will choose that. So, most likely they will choose the fast food. So, that means it depends on one’s own awareness.
So, it is not that the modes completely control us. The modes do give us some amount of choice but by our default mode, we will be more inclined towards going in a particular direction. But by being self-aware and vigilant, we can choose some other mode which will be better for us, although that choice will be difficult.