People are starting vegetarian society to become vegetarian, a very uplifted society. But the persons who are in Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are already vegetarian. That means the people in the ordinary status, they are trying to acquire some good qualities, but in Kṛṣṇa conscious person you will find all the good qualities automatically. That is the difference. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa conscious person is not interested that this is good work or this is bad work. He is interested with Kṛṣṇa. Because his activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is all transcendental, better than good, śuddha-sattva, pure goodness. In the material world, the goodness, the quality of goodness is sometimes tinged with passion and ignorance. But in pure goodness, which is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no tinge of passion or ignorance. Automatically everything is good.
Tinges of passion and ignorance
Expressions researched:
"tinge of ignorance or passion"
|"tinge of passion and ignorance"
|"tinge of passion or ignorance"
|"tinge of rajo-guna and tamo-guna"
|"tinge of the material mode of goodness, passion or ignorance"
|"tinge of these rajo-guna and tamo-guna"
|"tinged with passion and ignorance"
|"tinged with passion or ignorance"
|"tinges of ignorance and passion"
|"tinges of material passion and ignorance"
|"tinges of passion and ignorance"
|"tinges of rajo-guna and tamo-guna"
|"tinges of the modes of ignorance and passion"
|"tinges of the modes of passion and ignorance"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
Anyone who misunderstands this perishable body to be the self and who works for it in the name of sociology, politics, philanthropy, altruism, nationalism or internationalism, under the false plea of the bodily conception of life, is certainly a fool and does not know the implications of reality and unreality. Some of them are above the modes of ignorance and passion and are situated in the mode of goodness, but mundane goodness is always contaminated by tinges of ignorance and passion. Mundane goodness can enlighten one that the body and the self are different, and one in goodness is concerned with the self and not the body. But due to being contaminated, those in mundane goodness cannot understand the real nature of the self as a person. Their impersonal conception of the self as distinct from the body keeps them in the mode of goodness within material nature, and unless they are attracted by kṛṣṇa-kathā, they will never be liberated from the bondage of material existence. Kṛṣṇa-kathā is the only remedy for all people of the world because it can situate one in pure consciousness of the self and liberate one from material bondage.
In the material world there are three modes of material qualities—goodness, passion and ignorance—but in the spiritual world there is no trace of the modes of passion and ignorance; there is only the mode of goodness, which is uncontaminated by any tinge of ignorance or passion. In the material world, even if a person is completely in goodness, he is sometimes subject to be polluted by tinges of the modes of ignorance and passion. But in the Vaikuṇṭha world, the spiritual sky, only the mode of goodness in its pure form exists. The Lord and His devotees reside in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, and they are of the same transcendental quality, namely, śuddha-sattva, the mode of pure goodness. The Vaikuṇṭha planets are very dear to the Vaiṣṇavas, and for the progressive march of the Vaiṣṇavas toward the kingdom of God, the Lord Himself helps His devotees.
The impersonalist may argue that since the Supreme Personality of Godhead was so nicely decorated, He was therefore not the Absolute Truth. But here it is confirmed that all the variegatedness of the absolute platform is constituted of śuddha-sattva, pure goodness. In the material world, any quality—goodness, passion or ignorance—is contaminated. Even the quality of goodness here in the material world is not free from tinges of passion and ignorance. But in the transcendental world, only pure goodness, without any tinge of passion or ignorance, exists; therefore the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His variegated pastimes and paraphernalia are all pure sattva-guṇa. Such variegatedness in pure goodness is exhibited eternally by the Lord for the satisfaction of the devotee. The devotee does not want to see the Supreme Personality of Absolute Truth in voidness or impersonalism. In one sense, absolute transcendental variegatedness is meant only for the devotees, not for others, because this distinct feature of transcendental variegatedness can be understood only by the mercy of the Supreme Lord and not by mental speculation or the ascending process.
Sattvenāṁśena: when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, He brings with Him all His paraphernalia of Vaikuṇṭha; therefore His name, His form, His quality, His paraphernalia and His entourage all belong to the transcendental world. Real goodness is in the transcendental world. Here in the material world, the quality of goodness is not pure. Goodness may exist, but there must also be some tinges of passion and ignorance. In the spiritual world the unalloyed quality of goodness prevails; there the quality of goodness is called śuddha-sattva, pure goodness. Another name for śuddha-sattva is vasudeva because God is born from Vasudeva. Another meaning is that when one is purely situated in the qualities of goodness, he can understand the form, name, quality, paraphernalia and entourage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The vāsudeva stage is free from infringement by material desires and is the status in which one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the objective which is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as adbhuta. This is another feature of the mahat-tattva. The vāsudeva expansion is also called Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for it is free from all tinges of material passion and ignorance. This clear state of understanding helps one to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The vāsudeva status is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā as kṣetra-jña, which refers to the knower of the field of activities as well as the Superknower. The living being who has occupied a particular type of body knows that body, but the Superknower, Vāsudeva, knows not only a particular type of body but also the field of activities in all the different varieties of bodies. In order to be situated in clear consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one must worship Vāsudeva.
SB Canto 5
When the Supreme Lord appears or descends as an incarnation within this material world, He does not accept a body made of the three modes of material nature (sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa). Māyāvādī philosophers say that the impersonal God appears in this material world by accepting a body in the sattva-guṇa. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī states that the word śukla means "consisting of śuddha-sattva." Lord Viṣṇu descends in His śuddha-sattva form. Śuddha-sattva refers to the sattva-guṇa which is never contaminated. In this material world, even the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) is contaminated by tinges of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. When sattva-guṇa is never contaminated by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, it is called śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam (SB 4.3.23). That is the platform of vasudeva, whereby the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, can be experienced.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
The Bhagavad-gītā confirms that anyone who understands the transcendental nature of the Lord's appearance, activities and disappearance becomes eligible for freedom from material bondage upon quitting the present material tabernacle. He can enter the spiritual kingdom to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and reciprocate the hlādinī potency in transactions between him and the Lord. In the mundane mode of goodness there are tinges of passion and ignorance. Therefore mundane goodness, being mixed, is called miśra-sattva. But the transcendental variegatedness of viśuddha-sattva is completely free from all mundane qualities. Viśuddha-sattva is therefore the proper atmosphere in which to experience the Personality of Godhead and His transcendental pastimes.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
You can understand, you can get light of the spiritual world, by sattva-guṇa. But you have to surpass the sattva-guṇa. That is called śuddha-sattva, untinted, without any tinge of these rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. In the material world you may be situated on the brahminical qualification, sattva-guṇa, but there is chance of being infected by the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Therefore it is not śuddha-sattva, pure sattva. So you have to come to the platform of pure sattva-guṇa. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. That pure sattva, pure sattva-guṇa, mode of goodness, is called vasudeva, and Vasudeva he gives birth to Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. So when you come to that platform, then you will be able to give birth to Vāsudeva. That means you will meet Vāsudeva.
We see varieties in this material world due to the interaction of these three qualities. So there are varieties of men. Some of them are in good quality, some of them are in quality of passion, some of them are in the quality of ignorance. Therefore they have got different types of faith also, not that your faith or my faith may be the same, because you may be in the quality of goodness, I may be in the quality of passion or ignorance. So faith is according to the particular quality of the person who is professing that faith. So the sattvic faith, the faith in goodness, that is faith in Brahman, the Supreme. That is called goodness, brahminical faith. And above this... This is sattvic. Sattvic means goodness. So goodness... In the material world even goodness is sometimes contaminated with tinges of passion and ignorance. Therefore in the material world nothing can be in pure goodness. So one has to transcend the goodness platform of this material world and come to the platform of pure goodness, śuddha-sattva, where there is no more contamination of passion and ignorance. That platform is called God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
There are three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So if you develop sattva-guṇa, then your body gradually will be sattva-guṇa-ized. Sattva-guṇa, the goodness... The body will be purified and become good. Good, bad, and via media, three kinds. So that is the process. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means everything is being gradually developed into goodness. And at last, to surpass goodness... Here in this material world the goodness may be contaminated with the other qualities, but in the spiritual world it is so good... It is called śuddha-sattva. There is no contamination, there is no tinge of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. That is spiritual quality. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be possible in perfectness when we are above the quality of goodness.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Now, the description of the spiritual world is that there is no rajas-tamaḥ. These modes of passion and modes of ignorance is not there. Śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva means simply goodness, pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance. So pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ. There is no mixed goodness; simply goodness. And na ca kāla-vikramaḥ: "And there is no influence of time." This is the description of the spiritual world: "There is no modes of passion, and there is no modes of ignorance, and there is no influence of time." That means there is simply pure goodness. And in pure goodness we can understand our constitutional position: we can understand what is God, what is creation, everything.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
So to live in the forest is in the mode of goodness, and to live in the city, or town, is..., is in the mode of passion, and to live in slaughterhouse and brothel and drunkards, these are the residential quarter in ignorance. And to live in the temple is transcendental, above goodness, pure goodness. In the material world goodness is sometimes mixed up with ignorance and passion, but in the spiritual world there is pure goodness—no contamination or tinges of passion and ignorance. Therefore it is called śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva. Śabdam, sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam: "That pure goodness is called Vasudeva, and in that pure goodness one can realize God." Therefore God's name is Vāsudeva, "produced from Vasudeva." Vasudeva is the father of Vāsudeva.
So unless we come to the standard of pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance, it is not possible, God realization. Therefore bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). Jñāna is the platform of goodness, and karma is the platform of passion and ignorance. So bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (CC Madhya 19.167), without any material desires, devoid of, freed from all kinds of material desire and uncovered by ignorance, passion and goodness.
General Lectures
So there are three qualities in the material world: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, and tamo-guṇa. So those who are situated in the modes of goodness, they are called perfect in the material world, very good men. That "very good man" does not mean that he is spiritually advanced. He may be moralist. He may be philanthropist, just like so many leaders of nations. That is another thing. The spiritual state is called viśuddha-sattva. Viśuddha-sattva means goodness where no other quality can contaminate. Here even one man is very good man, sometimes he is tinged with passion or ignorance. Just like I told you that Mahātmā Gandhi, he was a recognized good man, but he committed so many mistakes. So pure goodness is not possible in this material world. Pure goodness means spiritual life.
Correspondence
1972 Correspondence
Thank you very much for your questions. You enquire about the mode of goodness, and why such people do not worship Krishna. Actually, this is not the final stage, one has to go further ahead to suddha sattva. In the material mode of goodness there are sometimes tinges of the modes of passion and ignorance, but in the suddha sattva stage there is only pure love of God or pure mode of goodness, that is the difference.
| Page Title: | Tinges of passion and ignorance |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Matea |
| Created: | 01 of Aug, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=6, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=7, Con=0, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 15 |