Sattva — Harmony, Luminosity, Balance
Hinduism

Sattva — Harmony, Luminosity, Balance

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Sattva is the guna of prakasha (luminosity) and laghu (lightness) within the Samkhya tripartite division of prakriti (material nature). The Bhagavad Gita (14.6) teaches: 'Tatra sattvam nirmalatvat prakashakam anamayam' — sattva, being pure, is illuminating and free from sickness, yet it binds through attachment to sukha (happiness) and jnana (knowledge). In Samkhya-karika of Ishvarakrishna, sattva works in constant interplay with rajas and tamas; when sattva predominates, the buddhi (intellect) becomes like a clear mirror reflecting the Purusha. The Gita (14.14) warns that even sattvic attachment — clinging to goodness, purity, and knowledge — is still a fetter in samsara, and only transcendence of all three gunas yields gunatita (the state beyond qualities).

Cross-Tradition Resonances

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Christian Mysticism0.36

Apatheia — Holy Indifference

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