THE MODES BIND THE PURE SOUL (14.5 – 14.9)

WORKINGS OF THE THREE MODES
Mode	Binding force (14.6-14.8)	Characteristics & manifestations (14.11 – 14.23)	Destination at death (14.14–14.15)	Results of action (14.16 – 14.18)
Goodness	Sense of: 1. Happiness 2. Satisfaction 3. Knowledge 4. Superiority	1. Illuminates the gates of the body with knowledge 2. Frees one from sinful reactions	Attains the pure, higher planets of the great sages	1. Pure 2. Knowledge (sees things as they are) 3. Elevation to higher planets like Brahmaloka or Janaloka
Passion	1. Attachment to fruitive activities 2. Binds by the ropes of desire and attachment	1. Intense, unlimited desires and longings 2. Great attachment 3. Fruitive activities	Attains earthly planets	1. Misery 2. Greed 3. Earthly planets
Ignorance	1. Madness 2. Indolence (Laziness) 3. Sleep	1. Delusion/ illusion 2. Darkness 3. Madness 4. Inertia	Birth in lower species	1. Foolishness 2. Madness 3. Illusion 4. Life in hellish worlds

SUMMARISED THEME

OBSTACLES PRESENTED BY THE MODES

No impetus to take up spiritual life. Why?
o Because you’re too happy and satisfied to do what Krsna says
Hard to be humble. Why?
o Have sense of superiority
Hard to learn. Why?
o I already know (have knowledge)

Can’t give up the fruits – Why?
o Because wants to fulfill unlimited desires
Thus becomes very attached
Often willing to sin to fulfill desires
Thus cannot take up Bhakti with determination

Too deluded to recognize Krishna’s instructions
Too lazy to perform austerities

Text 14.9

THEME : This verse summarises Texts 14.6 – 14.8

Learnings from Purport 14.9

(a) Difference between passion and ignorance – Both may work hard but in:

Passion – one engages in fruitive action and owns as much as he can, but spending for the good cause, e.g. Sometimes he opens hospitals, charity institutions etc.
Ignorance – All actions are neither good for him, nor for others: but one acts whimsically without following the regulative principles

(a) Three types of conditioned living entites – happy, active, helpless (14.6)

(b) Representative type of “Goodness” – Brahmana (14.6)

(c) The best examples for Goodness – Scientist, Philosopher and Poet (14.6)

Proud of their knowledge
Sense of advanced happiness binds them and keeps them in repeated birth and death
Feel a sort of material happiness because of improved living conditions
What causes the sense of happiness – because one is more or less free from sinful reactions
Destiny – no likelihood of liberation

(d) Passion binds by the ropes of “Desire” and “Attachment” (14.7*)

Characteristic type – Attraction between man and woman
“Advancement of modern civilization” – Is considered in the mode of passion (Formerly “advanced condition” was considered to be in the mode of goodness)
Some “Products of mode of passion”
o Hankering for material enjoyment and sense gratification
o Wants honour in society, nation etc.
o Wants happy family with wife, house, children etc.
o To construct a residence for sense gratification – One works hard for a palatial house as if it is eternal (14.12)
o Thus bound by “Fruits of work”
Destiny – No chance of liberation

(e) Ignorance (14.8)

“Tu” (But) – implies this mode is a very particular qualification of embodied soul. It is just the opposite of the mode of goodness (This is the difference from mode of goodness).
Destiny – no advancement but one becomes degraded.
Definition of ‘Mode of ignorance’ in the Vedic literatures – Under the spell of ignorance one cannot under a thing as it is. This is manifested as follows:
o Madness: Everyone is dying, but people are madly accumulating money and not caring for the eternal spirit
o Lazy: Not Interested when invited to associate for spiritual understanding
o Sleep: Six hours is sufficient, but in ignorance
▪ One sleeps 10 – 12 hours per day
▪ Always dejected
▪ Addicted to intoxicants and sleeping

WORKINGS OF THE THREE MODES
Mode	Binding force (14.6-14.8)	Characteristics & manifestations (14.11 – 14.23)	Destination at death (14.14–14.15)	Results of action (14.16 – 14.18)
Goodness	Sense of: 1. Happiness 2. Satisfaction 3. Knowledge 4. Superiority	1. Illuminates the gates of the body with knowledge 2. Frees one from sinful reactions	Attains the pure, higher planets of the great sages	1. Pure 2. Knowledge (sees things as they are) 3. Elevation to higher planets like Brahmaloka or Janaloka
Passion	1. Attachment to fruitive activities 2. Binds by the ropes of desire and attachment	1. Intense, unlimited desires and longings 2. Great attachment 3. Fruitive activities	Attains earthly planets	1. Misery 2. Greed 3. Earthly planets
Ignorance	1. Madness 2. Indolence (Laziness) 3. Sleep	1. Delusion/ illusion 2. Darkness 3. Madness 4. Inertia	Birth in lower species	1. Foolishness 2. Madness 3. Illusion 4. Life in hellish worlds

SUMMARISED THEME

OBSTACLES PRESENTED BY THE MODES

No impetus to take up spiritual life. Why?
o Because you’re too happy and satisfied to do what Krsna says
Hard to be humble. Why?
o Have sense of superiority
Hard to learn. Why?
o I already know (have knowledge)

Can’t give up the fruits – Why?
o Because wants to fulfill unlimited desires
Thus becomes very attached
Often willing to sin to fulfill desires
Thus cannot take up Bhakti with determination

Too deluded to recognize Krishna’s instructions
Too lazy to perform austerities

Text 14.9

THEME : This verse summarises Texts 14.6 – 14.8

Learnings from Purport 14.9

(a) Difference between passion and ignorance – Both may work hard but in:

Passion – one engages in fruitive action and owns as much as he can, but spending for the good cause, e.g. Sometimes he opens hospitals, charity institutions etc.
Ignorance – All actions are neither good for him, nor for others: but one acts whimsically without following the regulative principles

(a) Why the transcendental living-entity suffers

Living entity although transcendental, but has become conditioned by the material world and thus under the spell of material modes.
Different bodies and different activities under the different modes is the “cause of varieties of happiness and distress”.

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 14.5 & 14.6: The next group of verses describes the effects of each of the modes upon the conditioned soul. Texts 14.6, 14.7 and 14.8, one after another, explain the ways in which goodness, passion and ignorance force a soul to experience his existence.

Text 14.6-14.8

COMMON THEME : Effects (Binding-force) of each of the modes upon the conditioned souls.

Learnings from Purport 14.6 – 14.8

(a) Three types of conditioned living entites – happy, active, helpless (14.6)

(b) Representative type of “Goodness” – Brahmana (14.6)

(c) The best examples for Goodness – Scientist, Philosopher and Poet (14.6)

Proud of their knowledge
Sense of advanced happiness binds them and keeps them in repeated birth and death
Feel a sort of material happiness because of improved living conditions
What causes the sense of happiness – because one is more or less free from sinful reactions
Destiny – no likelihood of liberation

(d) Passion binds by the ropes of “Desire” and “Attachment” (14.7*)

Characteristic type – Attraction between man and woman
“Advancement of modern civilization” – Is considered in the mode of passion (Formerly “advanced condition” was considered to be in the mode of goodness)
Some “Products of mode of passion”
o Hankering for material enjoyment and sense gratification
o Wants honour in society, nation etc.
o Wants happy family with wife, house, children etc.
o To construct a residence for sense gratification – One works hard for a palatial house as if it is eternal (14.12)
o Thus bound by “Fruits of work”
Destiny – No chance of liberation

(e) Ignorance (14.8)

“Tu” (But) – implies this mode is a very particular qualification of embodied soul. It is just the opposite of the mode of goodness (This is the difference from mode of goodness).
Destiny – no advancement but one becomes degraded.
Definition of ‘Mode of ignorance’ in the Vedic literatures – Under the spell of ignorance one cannot under a thing as it is. This is manifested as follows:
o Madness: Everyone is dying, but people are madly accumulating money and not caring for the eternal spirit
o Lazy: Not Interested when invited to associate for spiritual understanding
o Sleep: Six hours is sufficient, but in ignorance
▪ One sleeps 10 – 12 hours per day
▪ Always dejected
▪ Addicted to intoxicants and sleeping

WORKINGS OF THE THREE MODES
Mode	Binding force (14.6-14.8)	Characteristics & manifestations (14.11 – 14.23)	Destination at death (14.14–14.15)	Results of action (14.16 – 14.18)
Goodness	Sense of: 1. Happiness 2. Satisfaction 3. Knowledge 4. Superiority	1. Illuminates the gates of the body with knowledge 2. Frees one from sinful reactions	Attains the pure, higher planets of the great sages	1. Pure 2. Knowledge (sees things as they are) 3. Elevation to higher planets like Brahmaloka or Janaloka
Passion	1. Attachment to fruitive activities 2. Binds by the ropes of desire and attachment	1. Intense, unlimited desires and longings 2. Great attachment 3. Fruitive activities	Attains earthly planets	1. Misery 2. Greed 3. Earthly planets
Ignorance	1. Madness 2. Indolence (Laziness) 3. Sleep	1. Delusion/ illusion 2. Darkness 3. Madness 4. Inertia	Birth in lower species	1. Foolishness 2. Madness 3. Illusion 4. Life in hellish worlds

SUMMARISED THEME

OBSTACLES PRESENTED BY THE MODES

No impetus to take up spiritual life. Why?
o Because you’re too happy and satisfied to do what Krsna says
Hard to be humble. Why?
o Have sense of superiority
Hard to learn. Why?
o I already know (have knowledge)

Can’t give up the fruits – Why?
o Because wants to fulfill unlimited desires
Thus becomes very attached
Often willing to sin to fulfill desires
Thus cannot take up Bhakti with determination

Too deluded to recognize Krishna’s instructions
Too lazy to perform austerities

Text 14.9

THEME : This verse summarises Texts 14.6 – 14.8

Learnings from Purport 14.9

(a) Difference between passion and ignorance – Both may work hard but in:

Passion – one engages in fruitive action and owns as much as he can, but spending for the good cause, e.g. Sometimes he opens hospitals, charity institutions etc.
Ignorance – All actions are neither good for him, nor for others: but one acts whimsically without following the regulative principles

(a) Why the transcendental living-entity suffers

Living entity although transcendental, but has become conditioned by the material world and thus under the spell of material modes.
Different bodies and different activities under the different modes is the “cause of varieties of happiness and distress”.

Text 14.6-14.8

COMMON THEME : Effects (Binding-force) of each of the modes upon the conditioned souls.

Learnings from Purport 14.6 – 14.8

(a) Three types of conditioned living entites – happy, active, helpless (14.6)

(b) Representative type of “Goodness” – Brahmana (14.6)

(c) The best examples for Goodness – Scientist, Philosopher and Poet (14.6)

Proud of their knowledge
Sense of advanced happiness binds them and keeps them in repeated birth and death
Feel a sort of material happiness because of improved living conditions
What causes the sense of happiness – because one is more or less free from sinful reactions
Destiny – no likelihood of liberation

(d) Passion binds by the ropes of “Desire” and “Attachment” (14.7*)

Characteristic type – Attraction between man and woman
“Advancement of modern civilization” – Is considered in the mode of passion (Formerly “advanced condition” was considered to be in the mode of goodness)
Some “Products of mode of passion”
o Hankering for material enjoyment and sense gratification
o Wants honour in society, nation etc.
o Wants happy family with wife, house, children etc.
o To construct a residence for sense gratification – One works hard for a palatial house as if it is eternal (14.12)
o Thus bound by “Fruits of work”
Destiny – No chance of liberation

(e) Ignorance (14.8)

“Tu” (But) – implies this mode is a very particular qualification of embodied soul. It is just the opposite of the mode of goodness (This is the difference from mode of goodness).
Destiny – no advancement but one becomes degraded.
Definition of ‘Mode of ignorance’ in the Vedic literatures – Under the spell of ignorance one cannot under a thing as it is. This is manifested as follows:
o Madness: Everyone is dying, but people are madly accumulating money and not caring for the eternal spirit
o Lazy: Not Interested when invited to associate for spiritual understanding
o Sleep: Six hours is sufficient, but in ignorance
▪ One sleeps 10 – 12 hours per day
▪ Always dejected
▪ Addicted to intoxicants and sleeping

WORKINGS OF THE THREE MODES
Mode	Binding force (14.6-14.8)	Characteristics & manifestations (14.11 – 14.23)	Destination at death (14.14–14.15)	Results of action (14.16 – 14.18)
Goodness	Sense of: 1. Happiness 2. Satisfaction 3. Knowledge 4. Superiority	1. Illuminates the gates of the body with knowledge 2. Frees one from sinful reactions	Attains the pure, higher planets of the great sages	1. Pure 2. Knowledge (sees things as they are) 3. Elevation to higher planets like Brahmaloka or Janaloka
Passion	1. Attachment to fruitive activities 2. Binds by the ropes of desire and attachment	1. Intense, unlimited desires and longings 2. Great attachment 3. Fruitive activities	Attains earthly planets	1. Misery 2. Greed 3. Earthly planets
Ignorance	1. Madness 2. Indolence (Laziness) 3. Sleep	1. Delusion/ illusion 2. Darkness 3. Madness 4. Inertia	Birth in lower species	1. Foolishness 2. Madness 3. Illusion 4. Life in hellish worlds

SUMMARISED THEME

OBSTACLES PRESENTED BY THE MODES

No impetus to take up spiritual life. Why?
o Because you’re too happy and satisfied to do what Krsna says
Hard to be humble. Why?
o Have sense of superiority
Hard to learn. Why?
o I already know (have knowledge)

Can’t give up the fruits – Why?
o Because wants to fulfill unlimited desires
Thus becomes very attached
Often willing to sin to fulfill desires
Thus cannot take up Bhakti with determination

Too deluded to recognize Krishna’s instructions
Too lazy to perform austerities

Text 14.9

THEME : This verse summarises Texts 14.6 – 14.8

Learnings from Purport 14.9

(a) Difference between passion and ignorance – Both may work hard but in:

Passion – one engages in fruitive action and owns as much as he can, but spending for the good cause, e.g. Sometimes he opens hospitals, charity institutions etc.
Ignorance – All actions are neither good for him, nor for others: but one acts whimsically without following the regulative principles