GCSE Hinduism Gunas
Definition: attributes, qualities or charecteristics
These qualities or gunas are built during our lives are stay until we die. They are inter-twined like 3 threads. There are 3 gunas which are all present in us, however depending on our natures and the way we live our lives, particular gunas can be more apparent than others...
Key Points
The 3 gunas are:
1) Sattva Guna 2) Rajas Guna 3) Tamas Guna
When you see any question about gunas, it will almost certainly ask you about 3 features: the mental characteristics, physical qualities & foods it is affected by. Learn the below table and you should be fine.
Sattva Rajas Tamas Mental quality Calm & Peaceful Active – wishing for Ignorance desires Physical quality Meditating & Bhakti Indulging those Couch potatoes – lazy desires and angry Foods affecting Milk, fruit, veg, grains Meat, Alcohol, Eggs, Over ripped food Spicy food Rotten food
Practise questions answered
What is Tamas? 2marks
Guna of Ignorance
Outline Hindu beliefs about the Gunas – 6 marks
They are the qualities or constituents found in all things
The nature of people & things is dictated by the proportions of the three gunas they have
They are Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion), Tamas (darkness).
They bind the Atma to samsara (think Gun-atit = above the Gunas)
One’s actions in this life affect one’s future gunic make-up
What is Raja? 2 marks
The guna of passion
Explain how the gunas might affect one’s chances of reaching liberation (moksha) – 8 marks
One’s gunic make-up, as dictated by actions in previous lives is central to having qualities necessary to attain moksha
Sattvic people are more likely that tamsic people to attain moksha
The gunas pervade all of samsara so our choices of food etc. will affect our progress towards moksha
Rajas and tamas bind us (our atman) strongly to samsara
Explain how the three gunas help Hindus to understand human nature – 8 marks
The three gunas – Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas all have differing physical and mental qualities.
Sattva will create a peaceful mind and be best suited for devotional or god-centred practices. This will allow you to do actions leading to Moksha.
Rajas will create a very active mind best suited for indulging in the worldly attractions. This will keep you bound to Samsara.
Tamas will create ignorance & inertia and breed lazyness and anger physically. This will also bind you to Samsara.
Foods you eat will affect your qualities and hence gunas, e.g. Milk (sattva), Meat (rajas), Rotten food (tamas).
The 3 gunas therefore allow you to determine the characteristics of Human nature when one has understood how each can pervade someone and change them physically and mentally. By assessing the foods people eat you can also predict the type of nature they may behold.