The creation is made up of five elements (earth, water, air, fire & space). These five elements have three qualities. These are:
- Sattva
- Rajas
- Tamas
These are the names given to the three qualities, and everything in this creation is governed by these three qualities. They also relate to our state of consciousness, such as waking, dreaming and sleeping state. There is a broad understanding of what Sattva is, what Rajas is and what Tamas is.
Sattva is the quality which is responsible for clarity, wisdom and righteous action. When Sattva is dominating in our environment, or in the body, we feel light, happy, pleasant, joyful, alert, awake, and our perceptions are very clear.
Rajas is the quality which is responsible for activity in the body and mind. We cannot 'act' without a certain level of Rajas. Rajas has its benefits when it is in balance with the other two Gunas. However, when Rajas increases or is dominating, we get lots of thoughts, we feel restless, we have too many desires and too many things to be done. Also, we either feel very happy and excited, or extremely low.
Tamas is the quality which is responsible for rest in the body and mind. Without a certain level of Tamas, one cannot 'sleep'. However, when Tamas is not in balance, that is when delusion, wrong understanding, dullness, etc., come forth.
At any given time, one of the three qualities dominates our life. When Sattva dominates in our life, then Rajas and Tamas stay in the background and their effect is minimum. When Rajas dominates, Sattva and Tamas are in the background. And when Tamas dominates, then Sattva and Rajas are in the background, and their effect is minimal. This is the whole mechanism of life in the world.
These three qualities are also present in our food. Our food can be Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic. Our mind and intellect can be Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic. Our attitude and actions can be Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic.
These three Gunas come in cycles, one after the other. It is natural to experience these three qualities from time to time. Sometimes you feel happy, joyful, and alert (Sattva). Sometimes you feel restless, sad, burdened with too many things to do, and have many desires (Rajas). And sometimes you just feel dull, sleepy and lazy (Tamas).
Though we experience all the three qualities from time to time, we can still keep our levels of Sattva high by leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Spiritual practices such as meditation, chanting, etc., also contribute towards keeping the Sattva levels high. The higher the Sattva, the more happiness and clarity one experiences.