In trying to understand nature and the cause of our tendencies and our personalities it is important to go back to a the concept of Gunas:

Hindu philosophy has at its heart the difference between atman and prakriti: while prakriti is the conditioning principle and subject to evolution, atman is immutable and remains untouched.

Prakriti is defined as the primordial physical energy, the origin of the manifested world. It is considered the seed holding the potential of everything in creation. Together with Purusha they unite to create as the union of Shiva and Shakti.

Prakriti means the first power of action. And it is composed by the three prime qualities, or gunas: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

Bhagavad- Gita 14.5:

Sattuam rajas tama iti gunah prakrti-sambhavah

Nibadhnanti maha-bahoo dehe dehinam avyayam

Material nature consist of the three modes- goodness, passion and ignorance. When the living entity (atman) comes in contact with nature (prakriti), he becomes conditioned by these modes (gunas). The jiva, because conditioned by the material world, is affected by the modes of nature in various forms. All the types of living entities are conditioned by the gunas (status of nature).

These modes are further explained in Chapter 14 of the Bhagavad Gita, text 6-8, starting from Sattva or the mode of goodness, rajas or the mode of passion and tamas or the mode of ignorance.

Sattva: Is the quality of love, light, harmony, goodness and virtue. It promotes wisdom and intelligence, clarity and contentment. It supports our spiritual journey and the development of our soul. From Sattva’s come the ability or clarity from which we can perceive the higher truth. From the sattvik aspects of the five elements comes the subtle sense organs.

Rajas: The quality of passion, energy, action, and turbulence promotes movement. It is responsible for inspiration and creativity although in excess can cause passion, aggression and restlessness. From the rajas aspect of the five elements comes the subtle organs of action.

Tamas: It is the quality of ignorance, steadiness, dullness, and inertia that causes sleep, decay, and degeneration, which leads to death. The body produces inactivity and sleep, and excess in the mind leads to lethargy, attachment, irrationality, confusion and depression. From the tamas aspect of the five elements comes the tangible world (grossified elements).

I hope the reader can appreciate my humble effort to simplify and make this concepts more accessible to all, making clear that I do not hold any authority or claim any deeper wisdom of the Vedanta other that the my own experience and exploration over the years.

Hari om Tat Sat