All aspects of nature are in the mode of goodness. But some are more in the mode of goodness like the mountains. Huge and beautiful mountains, they are in the mode of goodness; quiet peaceful.
That is why the yogis go to the Himalayas; they go to the mountains. It’s quiet and peaceful. They are getting their influence, the forest and so on.
But the ocean is more in the mode of passion. It is still goodness but it’s always moving, the waves. So what do you find along the beach? Passion activities, right? You know, everybody is lying on the beach naked, clubs and parties, and drinking. This is beach life because this is the mode of passion.
I’ve never heard of a yogi going to the beach to meditate, “I’m going to the beach”. No, I’m going to the mountains. But generally if you get away from the crowds, the beach is also mode of goodness. It’s still mode of goodness.
An example is, a guy goes to the mode of goodness – to nature but he doesn’t really know. “Oh, I really like it in nature.” As soon as he gets there in his nice four-wheel drive vehicle, he got way out there, away from everybody, the four-wheel drive took him there – $100,000 Land Cruiser. Once he is out there he immediately opens the doors, turns on his $5,000 sound system … pulls out the cooler, takes out the beer and the vodka, takes out the barbeque, lights the fire, he smokes the cigarette, “Oh, I love this nature, fresh air, so nice and peaceful … Oh, nice food.” He is drunk … I’ve seen a lot of this in Russia, and not only in Russia.
Anyway they do not understand the mode of nature, they miss it completely because they took the mode of passion and ignorance with them. They cannot do without them and if they were left with only the mode of goodness they’d be bored, “What’s to do here? Too quiet.”
A friend of mine lived in New York for a long time and she came out to see us. It was really quiet, you know, we were on a camping trip. The next day, I asked her how did you sleep? I couldn’t get to sleep till about 2 in the morning. It’s too quiet here, no sirens, no police, nobody, it’s just too quiet. But after a while she was ok, she managed.
If we are serious about happiness and we know how to achieve it, I’m talking about my material stuff now, not even entering into spiritual, we really need to make an effort to put ourselves under the influence of the mode of goodness and we will be happy.
The Bhagavad-gita describes in chapter 18: the mode of goodness leads to health, harmony and happiness materially. This is the mode of goodness; this is your future. If you want be healthy, harmonious, peaceful, and happy – the mode of goodness.
And it says, the mode of passion leads to lamentation, always worrying and anger. That is your fruit, if you want that, then here you are.
The mode of ignorance leads to indolence, which is bewilderment and madness. This is just like and even less than animal life. We have the choice to decide, which of these modes will we choose to influence us.
Nature is the mode of goodness and cities are the mode of passion. I think you can experience that … cars … everybody is rushing, it’s just all business. And then there are places in the city that are definitely the mode of ignorance: all the bars, night clubs, the restaurants and so on, most all restaurants are in the mode of ignorance.
How do you spend your time? What do you want to be influenced by – the movies, the music, the food, the time of day? Everything has its’ influence, one way or another, you cannot escape. You have to decide: what do I want? What am I attracted to, but that is not a good barometer. I may be attracted to things now but I do not want to be, so then I can move on. Knowledge – we have to be a little wise.