Gita 14.15

Sadhak: "This is disturbing. Does dying in tamas really mean being reborn as an animal?"

Guru: "Traditional understanding includes that possibility. But even human birth in profound ignorance - in environments without access to knowledge, surrounded by delusion - is a form of 'mūḍha-yoni.' The principle is: tamasic consciousness continues in tamasic conditions."

Sadhak: "And rajasic death leads to rebirth among achievers and doers?"

Guru: "Yes - which sounds almost appealing until you remember that karma-saṅga (attachment to action) brings suffering. Being reborn into a driven family or ambitious culture means the wheel of striving continues. You get another chance but also another round of the same exhausting game."

Sadhak: "So all three gunas lead to rebirth? None offers escape?"

Guru: "Exactly. Sattvic death offers better rebirth but still rebirth. Only transcending the gunas offers moksha. This teaching should motivate: don't aim merely for sattvic death (temporary improvement) but for liberation from the cycle entirely."

Sadhak: "But surely sattvic rebirth is a step toward liberation?"

Guru: "It can be. Better conditions make spiritual practice easier. But many in sattvic circumstances become complacent - why seek liberation when life is already pleasant? The sattvic trap is subtler than the tamasic or rajasic ones. Every guna, even the best, must ultimately be transcended."