A Sātvic person has great desire for spiritual knowledge, has love in heart for everyone, kindness, compassion, and faith in God. She has clear goals, knows what is right and wrong, and what her duty is. He works hard to help others without expecting anything in return.
There is great control over all speech and actions. There is absence of all negative characteristics like anger, greed, arrogance, jealousy, selfish desires, etc. She is described as
‘pure’ & ‘luminous’. A Sātvic person is anxious for peace and happiness for all and desire for true knowledge and wisdom. This desire, however noble, still creates attachment. For salvation ( Moksh) one has to go beyond this attachment of Satv to happiness & knowledge.
Evolve from Tamas to Rajas to Satv
All of us are working under one of the guń- s which is predominant and others are dormant at any moment. Védic Dharma suggests that we evaluate ourselves (not others), find our weaknesses, make necessary changes, and evolve from tamas to rajas and then to Satv in all our activities. This gives us a road map of a path for personal evolution.
1. The first step is to realize the need for change.
2. Then we make a decision to change and find ways about how to change. Initially we try to change everyone other than ourselves. That does not work. Then we decide to change ourselves.
3. Next step is to observe our daily activities, even our thoughts objectively, as if we are somebody else. Find one or two characteristics which are of Tāmasic variety, work on them to change to Rājasic and then to Sātvic.
Activities according to Guń-s (गुण) 1. Long term goals:
Tāmasic - Long term goals are to sleep, eat, & destroy others.
Rājasic - Long term goals are for personal pleasure, prestige, power, & prosperity.
Sātvic - Long term goals are for unity, love, & welfare of all.
2. Attachment to:
Tāmasic – food and sleep.
Rājasic – is attached to action and desire to acquire worldly objects.
Sātvic – would like happiness & ‘True’ knowledge for all.
3. Actions:
Tāmasic – performs actions without due thought about the results, or how actions are carried out. He denies all responsibility and may get involved in criminal or violent activities to harm others or himself. He has no humility and often procrastinates.
Bhagawad Gitā, XVIII.25, 28
Rājasic – performs activities with arrogance, pomp & show; for selfish reasons to gain personal possessions, prestige, power, and wealth. These activities create anxieties, agitation, bitterness, conflict, & anger. Later these actions may lead to sorrow & depression.
Bhagawad Gitā, XVIII.24, 27
Sātvic – actions are performed without likes & dislikes for the action or the people involved, or insistence on a particular result. Activities are carried out according to Dharma and for peace and welfare of all. A Sātvic person remains calm in success or failure.
Bhagawad Gitā, XVIII.23, 26
4. Duties:
एवं सदा म कत यं वयमेव क र य त
भुः सवसमथ ह ततो नि च ततां जेत्॥
Shri Vallabhāchāry
All of us should perform our own duty
(assigned according to their stage in life, family
circumstances & needs, profession etc.).
We have control only over the present