To perform any kind of action, either sinful or meritorious, there must be some basis. That is the Guna. (Guna refers to the innate qualities of the person. It could be either quality of purity (sattva), passion (rajas) or ignorance (tamas)).

The guna (innate qualities of the person) determine the kind of actions one performs. This is the reason we are asked to correct our qualities (gunas), not our Karma (actions).

What is it that determines the quality (guna) which is ruling us? It is our past actions i.e. our previous karma. Seen from this angle, our qualities and our present actions interrelated. What you can’t change is your destiny, what you can change is your innate qualities.

At the time of birth, the innate qualities come along with this human body, just like your breath. These qualities follow us from across births. In simple terms, if you do good, you are said to be Sattvik. If you do bad, it is called as Rajasic and Tamasic quality.

(Q&A Session 5th June 2016)