Tamas (philosophy)
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Tamas (Sanskrit: तमस् tamas, lit. 'darkness') is one of the three guṇas (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.[1] The other two qualities are rajas (passion and activity) and sattva (purity, goodness). Tamas is the quality of inertia, inactivity, dullness, or lethargy.
Etymology
The
Hinduism
In Samkhya philosophy, a guṇa is one of three "tendencies, qualities": sattva, rajas and tamas. This category of qualities have been widely adopted by various schools of Hinduism for categorizing behavior and natural phenomena. The three qualities are:
- Sattva is the quality of balance, harmony, goodness, purity, universalizing, holistic, positive, peaceful, virtuous.[3]
- Rajas is the quality of passion, activity, being driven, moving, dynamic.[4][5]
- Tamas is the quality of dullness or inactivity, apathy, inertia or lethargy.[6][4]
Action that is virtuous, thought through, free from attachment, and without craving for results is considered
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, verses 23–25 [31]
In Indian philosophy, these qualities are not considered as present in either-or fashion. Rather, everyone and everything has all three, only in different proportions and in different contexts.[1] The living being or substance is viewed as the net result of the joint effect of these three qualities.[1][5]
According to the Samkya school, no one and nothing is either purely Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic.[5] One's nature and behavior is a complex interplay of all guṇas in varying degrees. In some, the conduct is Rajasic with significant influence of Sattvic guṇa; in some it is Rajasic with significant influence of Tamasic guṇa, and so on.[5]
Sikhism
The Sikh scripture refers to tamas in its verses:
- "The Fourteenth Day: one who enters into the fourth state, overcomes time, and the three qualities of rajas, tamas, and sattva." (SGGS [1])
- "Those who embody the energies of sattva-white light, rajas-red passion, and tamas-black darkness, abide in the Fear of God, along with the many created forms." (SGGS [2])
- "Your Power is diffused through the three gunas: rajas, tamas and sattva." (SGGS [3])
- "Rajas, the quality of energy and activity; tamas, the quality of darkness and inertia; and sattva, the quality of purity and light, are all called the creations of Maya, Your illusion. That man who realizes the fourth state – he alone obtains the supreme state." (SGGS [4])
See also
- Tamasic foods
References
- ^ ISBN 9780823931798, p. 265.
- ISBN 90-5183-820-4.
- ^ Alter, Joseph S., Yoga in modern India, 2004 Princeton University Press, p 55
- ^ a b Feuerstein, Georg The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga, Shambhala Publications, 1997
- ^ a b c d Alban Widgery (1930), The principles of Hindu Ethics, International Journal of Ethics, Vol. 40, No. 2, pages 234-237
- ^ Whicher, Ian The Integrity of the Yoga Darśana, 1998 SUNY Press, 110