Table of Contents
3 Modes of Material Nature and Sin
There are 3 modes of the mind, are material. They are Sattva, or the Mode of Goodness; Rajas, or the Mode of Passion; and Tamas, the Mode of Ignorance. There is a 4th State of Existence of the mind or the Mode of Pure existence also known as Shuddha Sattva.
We cannot comprehend the essence of sin or papa(Sanskrit) unless we have a clear understanding of these mental states. We cannot be free of Papa unless we are also free of the three modes of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. An Example of Tamasik attitude is to cause harm to others for one’s own welfare driven by envy or hatred.
This is papa in its grossest and gravest form. One cannot stop the footsteps of papa in such cases. In the Rajasik Mode, one is driven by Ambition for one’s own profit but not causing harm to others. Yet in a drive to seek one’s own welfare, it is but natural that one can ransack the happiness of others. So, being in the Rajasik mode is also prone to heavy sins.
An example of Sattva is to do good for society, under the influence of the mind in the mode of goodness. There is also a hidden motive; to be recognized as good by society. One feels, “I want to be acknowledged by others as a decent and valuable member of society.” This is the drive of Ego.
The Root Cause of Papa
Since ego is preoccupied with a person’s unique existence, it is feasible for one person to harm another covertly or overtly. Because hurt, possessiveness, and the capacity to harm others are the bodily manifestations of ego, one becomes the object of evil deeds.
Man has accepted his body as the Self. This foolishness causes him to get attached to the world of things and people. Man is only able to commit different kinds of sins solely because of attachment. Most of us do not understand what papa is.
Sri Kripaluji Maharaj Explains Sin
The Vedic texts include many definitions of papa. One of the greatest sages of our time, Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj, offers the ideal explanation for Papa. “A person commits sins when he does not focus on enlightened beings or the Supreme Lord, those are the moments of committing sins”, the Jagadguru declares.
This is a very peculiar definition that one may not find in any book. But only an enlightened being can see the intention behind this powerful statement. This is perhaps the only possible accurate definition of papa. Maya or cosmic illusion has three modes of operation as discussed earlier; Satva (mode of goodness), Rajas (mode of passion), and Tamas (mode of ignorance).
Synopsis of the 3 Modes of Material Nature
It is basic intelligence to realize that anything done in the mode of ignorance contributes to papa. We shall further elaborate the three modes in relation to sin with an example. The one in the mode of ignorance shall, by some means usurp the rights of others and use them for one’s own advantage.
By the same example, a man in the mode of passion shall not interfere with others, he shall earn for himself and consume that which he has earned. The man in the mode of goodness shall be interested in helping society at large and may help others to earn their bread without any outward expectations, but driven by subtle ego.
The Garuda Purana proclaims that the one on the Satva platform attains heaven. The one in Rajas platform shall attain earthly existence while the one in Tamas shall attain various types of hells. But the interesting part of all three domains is that all of them are short-lived and non-permanent. This, according to Kripaluji Maharaj is verily papa.
8 Questions from Sanatana Dharma
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Beware when you Love Humans especially a Sadhaka
This means that since these three domains are temporary; they are products of Maya. Whenever the mind is in the domain of Maya, Maharajji says it is sin, anyway. Hence the concept of good or evil holds the same value and it is papa alone. Now someone may say, “Is it papa if I love my mother or father?”
The plain answer will be “Yes, without doubt.” When one puts one’s attachment on anybody who is contaminated by Maya, how can that be pure? Our parents, friends, teachers all of them have worldly thoughts within them. There is no doubt about this. If that is so, thinking about them, means to take in more of Maya, more contamination.
Associating with contamination is sin because the mind shall become more contaminated by thinking about all these people. Our mind has been in a polluted state from time immemorial.
A Dirty Cloth cannot be cleansed by Dirty Water
The goal is to purify the mind. The mind is like a cloth drenched in muck. It means that to remove that muck, one needs to employ pure crystal water to cleanse it. Instead, we try to cleanse it with muddy water; naturally the cloth shall only retain its muck or can become dirtier.
Associating or thinking about the denizens of heaven, earth or hell with one’s mind attached to them is papa, broadly speaking, since they shall increase the temperature of Maya within our hearts.
This is the truth of the statement when Lord Krishna commands Arjuna and says “Relinquish all other types of Dharma and simply surrender unto Me.” Now one may say “The Vedas claim that if you forsake Dharma, papa shall attack you.”
Posessing Merits is Also a Demerit in the End
To this the Lord says “Do not worry, I shall protect and insure you against all sins.” This is His guarantee. The source of the Vedas itself is the Lord. Now one may argue “The Lord should have said I shall relieve you from merits as well as sins if you surrender unto me.”
The reason is that if sins are removed then merits shall remain. If merits remain, the living entity has to come down to the earthly platform to reap the merits. In that process there is a 100% chance that he shall once again garner papa . But that is where a deeper understanding of the word sin begs detailing.
Sin entails both merits; those results of good actions and the conventional definition of sin; those results of bad actions, as defined in the Vedic scriptures. Sins, from the point of view of the Lord, are inclusive of merits as well as sins.
Thus the Lord shall end merits and sins in the same breath if one surrenders unto Him. Liberation can only result when a living entity is permanently relieved of both merits and sins. Kripaluji Maharaj says, “Anything that binds is papa”, “Good” is bad and “Bad” is also bad. Loving God or a Self-Realized master is neither good nor bad.
This process of loving the realized master or the Lord shall burn to ashes the very root of papa in one’s heart. The one who considers the “body” as one’s own shall consider all bodily relations and bodily activities as “real”. This is the basic reason for one to become motivated towards sin.
Other than the Lord and the Lord’s pure devotees nothing is pure and hence is the root of sin.
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