Answer
A devotee once approached Sriyut BrahmBodhi with a question that had arisen during a conversation with a 22-year-old young man. While being introduced to the principles of Navadha Bhakti and the teachings of Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita, the young man raised an honest objection:
“Many of the qualities described here seem to go against ordinary human nature. Desiring things, thinking about oneself, seeking one's own interests, and being attached to one's likes and dislikes appear to be natural human tendencies. If these are part of human nature, why should we try to act against them? Why should we attempt to cultivate qualities that seem contrary to our natural instincts?”
The devotee, unable to give a satisfactory reply at that moment, sought BrahmBodhi's guidance on how such a question may be addressed. The following is the substance of BrahmBodhi's response.
Two tendencies live within every human being
Both divine and demonic qualities are part of human nature. Some people are born with a greater predominance of divine qualities, while others are born with stronger demonic tendencies. Those in whom demonic qualities predominate naturally regard such tendencies as normal and effortless. On the other hand, those in whom divine qualities are stronger find compassion, truthfulness, self-control, and concern for others to be equally natural and effortless. Therefore, the young man's observation is not surprising — it is simply a reflection of where his own present inclinations lie.
What he needs to understand is that both kinds of tendencies coexist within human beings. It is precisely for this reason that Lord Krishna devotes the entire sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita to the subject of the Divine and Demonic Natures (Daivāsura-sampad-vibhāga Yoga).
Divine qualities liberate; demonic qualities bind
The Lord says:
Daivī sampad vimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā; Mā śucaḥ sampadaṁ daivīm abhijāto'si Pāṇḍava.
Meaning: “The divine qualities lead to liberation, whereas the demonic qualities lead to bondage. Do not grieve, O Pāṇḍava, for you are born with the divine endowment.”
No one escapes the three gunas
The Lord also makes it clear that no living being — not even the gods — is completely free from the three qualities (gunas) of material nature: sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance):
Na tad asti pṛthivyāṁ vā divi deveṣu vā punaḥ; Sattvaṁ prakṛtijair muktaṁ yad ebhiḥ syāt tribhir guṇaiḥ.
Meaning: “There is no being on earth, or even among the gods in heaven, who is free from these three gunas born of material nature.”
The journey of transformation
A person's character and conduct are determined by which of these three gunas predominates at a given time. One in whom tamas is dominant should gradually give up tamasic habits and tendencies and move toward rajas, and from rajas toward sattva. Thereafter, one should continue refining oneself by cultivating ever greater purity, wisdom, and self-mastery, ultimately rising even beyond sattva.
The Lord describes the trajectory of these three gunas:
Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ; Jaghanyaguṇavṛttisthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ.
Meaning: “Those established in sattva rise upward; those dominated by rajas remain in the middle; while those immersed in tamasic tendencies move downward.”
Why cultivate the divine qualities?
It is therefore entirely natural and rational for a person who seeks progress and excellence in life to reduce demonic tendencies and consciously cultivate divine ones. This is the path that leads simultaneously to worldly well-being and to spiritual advancement. To follow one's lower instincts simply because they feel “natural” is to mistake the starting point of life for its destination.
Lord Krishna opens the sixteenth chapter by listing the very qualities a human being should cultivate:
“Abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ...”
- Fearlessness
- Purity of mind (sattva-saṁśuddhi)
- Steadfastness in knowledge and yoga
- Self-control
- Sacrifice (yajña)
- Compassion
- Truthfulness
The cultivation of these divine qualities elevates a person toward a higher life, inner peace, and ultimately spiritual realization. Thus, far from being unnatural, embracing divine qualities is the most rational and dignified response to the fact that human nature contains both possibilities — and that we ourselves choose which one to nourish.