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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Book 1 - The Problem of Union
16. The consummation of this non-attachment results in an exact knowledge of the spiritual man when liberated from the qualities or gunas. Certain points should be remembered by the student when considering this sutra: That the spiritual man is the monad, That the evolutionary process when carried to its climax produces not only the freeing of the soul from the limitations of the three worlds, but the freeing of the spiritual man from [32] all limitations, even that of the soul itself. The goal is formlessness or freedom from objective and tangible manifestation, and the true significance of this becomes apparent as the student remembers the oneness of spirit and matter when in manifestation; i. e. our seven planes are the seven subplanes of the lowest cosmic plane, the physical. Consequently only "the time of the end" and the dissolution of a solar system will reveal the true meaning of formlessness. The gunas are the three qualities of matter, the three effects produced when macrocosmic energy, the life of God which persists independently of form-taking, actuates or energizes substance. The three gunas are:
1. Sattva | Energy of Spirit Monad | Father | rhythm or harmonious vibration
2. Rajas | Energy of Soul Ego | Son | mobility or activity
3. Tamas | Energy of Matter Personality | Holy Ghost | inertia
These three correspond to the quality of each of the three aspects which express the one Life. In such a brief commentary as this perforce must be it is not possible to enlarge to any extent upon this subject, but some idea can be gained as to what is meant by the consummation of non-attachment when applied to the macrocosm or the microcosm. The three gunas have all been used, full experience through the use of form has been acquired, consciousness, perception or awareness through attachment to an object or to a form has been developed, all resources have been utilized, [33] and the spiritual man (logoic or human) has no further use or need for them. He is therefore freed from the gunas, released from form taking as the result of attachment, and enters into a new state of consciousness upon which it is useless for us to speculate.
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