TH 144: The Human Society

Individual ego is required to individualize a human being. In the same way, collective ego is required to imbibe the impression of reciprocity (parasparta ka aabhas). We should embrace the truth in collective ego. The three types of human societies are sattwic society, rajasic society, and tamasic society run by sattwic ego, rajasic ego, and tamasic ego respectively. The sattwic ego brings knowledge and happiness. Sattwic ego is the best of all three egos but it cannot help us reach the Divine. We will have to renounce even the sattwic ego, and go beyond the three modes of Nature to find God. The speaker illustrates a beautiful poem “Kannan, the disciple” in this context. Rajasic ego stands for action and is guided by instant pleasure. The tamasic ego is full of ignorance and inertia. It is the lowest of all three egos and is averse to any attempt to change . One moves from tamas to rajas and then to sattwa. But in a still higher endeavor, the chariot of Jagannath has to be built in order to form an ideal society. The human race, impelled by the Universal Godhead, is striving to create the manifestation of the highest Truth.