Three Gunas applied to emotion, intellect

[Vinayaka]

Generally we think of the 3 gunas in food, and apply that knowledge to the physical body, by eating mostly sattvic food, occasionally rajistic food, and never tamasic food.
But do we think or out emotional or intellectual diet. Think of TV ... a disturbing show of lower emotions is tamasic, a nature show or documentary would be rajistic, stimulating, and sattvic show would be an upliftng spiritual show. Of course there is overlap. But do we even think of what we are putting into our minds in anywhere near the same way as what we put into our bodies?

Thoughts?

 

[George-ananda]

Generally we think of the 3 gunas in food, and apply that knowledge to the physical body, by eating mostly sattvic food, occasionally rajistic food, and never tamasic food.
But do we think or out emotional or intellectual diet. Think of TV ... a disturbing show of lower emotions is tamasic, a nature show or documentary would be rajistic, stimulating, and sattvic show would be an upliftng spiritual show. Of course there is overlap. But do we even think of what we are putting into our minds in anywhere near the same way as what we put into our bodies?

Thoughts?

This sounds like just what my favorite spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba has told us. All inputs to the mind are like foods that create us.

 

[JustGeorge]

Honestly, I think what we put into our brains is more important. How we feed our minds affects us more so even than foods, in my opinion. It can perhaps even affects what we put into our bodies, to an extent. One may eat only health food, but if they put garbage into their mind, they're likely to find all kinds of mental issues. And then there is the idea of becoming addicted to a show or watching videos in general, and the tamas that spreads from that(into all areas of life).

I suppose I've never thought about categories what shows/programs/videos go into, but one certainly could place them within the gunas(I suspect you can with anything.) Good points.

 

[Vinayaka]

This sounds like just what my favorite spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba has told us. All inputs to the mind are like foods that create us.

Dieticians and ayurvedic doctors will tell us that about the physical body as well. The key, for me, is listening to the wise. TV is an easy one to not pay so much attention to, or get caught off guard.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Pure Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic people are rare. What we get is a mix of percentages in every person.

 

[Sirona]

Maybe I'm infected by my favorite cult's extremely critical attitude towards Western culture, but most of what's on TV appeals only to base instincts anyway. Still, I probably wouldn't stick with the prescribed "cure" of only watching "sattvic" religious content, for example. And I see in it a great danger of indoctrinating or dumbing down people. For example, do you believe in the actual existence of the ocean of milk or alcohol? Or that Krishna and Balarama jumped from the top of a mountain that was 88 miles (141 km) high?
I'd find such a mental diet psychologically draining.

 

[Aupmanyav]

If it does not go with you, reject it. That is a hell of an idea. An ocean of milk on which a great coiled serpent with thousand heads rests. And on it rests Lord Vishnu with Mother Lakshmi tenderly messaging his legs. They make a beautiful picture.

33 kg of pure 24 crat gold, Padmanabhaswamy, Trivendrum, Kerala, India

 

[Vinayaka]

Honestly, I think what we put into our brains is more important. How we feed our minds affects us more so even than foods, in my opinion. It can perhaps even affects what we put into our bodies, to an extent. One may eat only health food, but if they put garbage into their mind, they're likely to find all kinds of mental issues. And then there is the idea of becoming addicted to a show or watching videos in general, and the tamas that spreads from that(into all areas of life).

I suppose I've never thought about categories what shows/programs/videos go into, but one certainly could place them within the gunas(I suspect you can with anything.) Good points.

Strangely, it's one of the reasons I like to watch sports, from a detached POV. It's all in the present moment, and when the game is over, I don't carry any subconscious dross after, Same with enjoying artistic performances.

 

[ajay0]

Generally we think of the 3 gunas in food, and apply that knowledge to the physical body, by eating mostly sattvic food, occasionally rajistic food, and never tamasic food.
But do we think or out emotional or intellectual diet. Think of TV ... a disturbing show of lower emotions is tamasic, a nature show or documentary would be rajistic, stimulating, and sattvic show would be an upliftng spiritual show. Of course there is overlap. But do we even think of what we are putting into our minds in anywhere near the same way as what we put into our bodies?

Thoughts?

Yes. The three gunas can be used to categorise all diets, emotional and intellectual and sensory.

I have watched all sorts of films, and used to categorise them as sattvic, rajasic or tamasic.

Based on my experience, I tend to categorise art movies as sattvic, action movies as rajasic, and horror movies and violent films as tamasic. I would say even nature shows or documentaries are also sattvic to some extent.

The nature of art movies is that it tends to bore one in the beginning, but leaves one joyful in the end.


That which is like poison in the beginning, but comparable to nectar in the end, and which, arises from the purity of ones intellect-that joy is spoken of as born of sattva. (Bhagavad Gita 18.37)

 

[JustGeorge]

I think in the case of entertainment, it can be kind of like food as well. Different foods affect a person differently, and I feel its no different than with entertainment.

I think for most, Bob Ross is kinda Sattvic. Just watching him paint and create... the calming colors and tones... even if you don't paint, he's pretty enjoyable. However, for my husband, I would say he's rajasic. He sees what Bob is doing, and is moved to action. I must do that, too! he thinks... and then he's painting, and swearing, and his face is flushed... definitely not his most Sattvic moments.

 

[Martin]

Generally we think of the 3 gunas in food, and apply that knowledge to the physical body, by eating mostly sattvic food, occasionally rajistic food, and never tamasic food.
But do we think or out emotional or intellectual diet. Think of TV ... a disturbing show of lower emotions is tamasic, a nature show or documentary would be rajistic, stimulating, and sattvic show would be an upliftng spiritual show. Of course there is overlap. But do we even think of what we are putting into our minds in anywhere near the same way as what we put into our bodies?

Thoughts?

I understand gunas as describing fundamental characteristics of the material world.
But yes, I think you could talk about "food" for the mind (manomaya). In Buddhism its called "guarding the senses", being mindful about what you allow into the mind.

 

[Sirona]

I listened to a lecture today and found something useful: predominantly tamasic people tend to live in the past, rajasic people tend to live in the future (with a hope for reward) and predominantly sattvic people live in the moment. As @Aupmanyav said, the gunas appear mixed in everybody so I don't intend to put people in boxes, but I found it a very useful statement.

 

[Martin]

I listened to a lecture today and found something useful: predominantly tamasic people tend to live in the past, rajasic people tend to live in the future (with a hope for reward) and predominantly sattvic people live in the moment. As @Aupmanyav said, the gunas appear mixed in everybody so I don't intend to put people in boxes, but I found it a very useful statement.

There are many systems for classifying personality, though I think developing self-knowledge with an open mind is a more productive approach.

 

[Viraja]

A long time ago, I raised this question on karma:

Does thought or instinct hold any karmic baggage? As 'consequence' in terms of action, is seeded by thoughts alone. Even if not right away, thoughts follow a pattern, and a tragic sequence of thought patterns brings forth a tragic course of actions.

After much thought, I concluded that thoughts have a definite bearing on actions and do carry karmic baggage.

In Jyotish, there is a certain thing called 'Arudha Lagna' (AL). It is the perceived and illusory self and commands domains such as one's image on the world around him. A person with a bad AL needs to rectify it as it becomes his second nature.

Given the instincts via external stimulus act on one's thought patterns, but are secondary to his original self, I would guess these outside stimuli then would act on this Illusory self (AL) and when this gets significantly strong, would delude the person to a large extent.

Hope I make sense!