Sattva guna, the other word for mode of goodness, is one of the 3 modes that the Bhagavat Gita speaks about. Joined by the mode of passion and the mode of ignorance, these 3 modes or gunas are influencing all living entities to differing degrees.
A person in the mode of goodness lives a balanced life and controls the mind and the senses. The Bhagavat Gita explains that a person in this mode is naturally very peaceful and satisfied.
In December of 2019 when the whole of Europe was in the cold winter season, I was fortunate to spend time in Sridham Mayapur, India. There, the winter is very pleasant, with the temperature during the day being around 20 degrees Celsius.
Beside participating in the deity worship course, I spent a significant amount of time with the local devotees, and I always made sure that I met with the sadhus.
There were two sadhus there that I especially wanted to spend time with; Jananivas and Pankajaghri Prabhus, the transcendental twins who spent their whole life in Mayapur, serving the Deities and inspiring the devotees by their simplicity and absorption. They were on the top of my list to meet and serve.
Whenever I would meet them, they would always be the same; very kind, polite, never speaking more than required, and always very clean and respectful to everyone.
I would observe them when they would give classes or teach courses. I also observed them when they were being glorified, or receiving worship from devotees. I would especially be careful to observe them when they would perform puja to the temple Deities.
In all their activities they acted in the same way; very calm, gentle, and absorbed in service to their spiritual master.
They would never speak badly about others, criticize devotees, or take the side of a particular group when controversies were being discussed.
They always focused on their service, and never wasted time.
Whenever they would not teach or peform puja, devotees would visit them to ask for blessings. Householders regularly invited them to their homes to give short talks and bless the house with their presence.
Whatever they did was very elegant and pleasing to the eye.
I remember observing them chanting japa in the early morning hours, and simply by seeing them, my own japa would improve instantly and joy would automatically arise in my heart.
These two brothers not only inspired me, but thousands of other devotees around the world as well.
We can all read books and learn about philosophy, but only when we meet the sadhu, a saintly person who has applied the philosophy, only then do all the puzzles come together and an understanding of the philosophy matures and turns into realization.
As time goes on, I often remember those two brothers, and with every thought of time spent with them I gain more realizations about the Bhakti process.
Krishna book Ch. 86- A pilgrimage site becomes a holy place because of the presence of the saintly persons.
Ananta Gopal Das
19.12.2021
Bhakti Wisdom 