Sometimes the three modes of Tama, Raja and Sattva are compared to dry wood, smoke and fire. Such subtle concepts can stretch the mind and challenge the imagination, yet, according to Vedic wisdom, these concepts are not extraordinary. This conversation took place in Los Angeles, on June 23, 1976 in Los Angeles: Prabhupada: “Yes. Fire is better than smoke. Smoke is better than wood. Wood means tamo-guna. And smoke means rajo-guna, `Now it is coming.’ And fire means sattva-guna. So you have to go still above. That is called suddha-sattva-guna. Here, simply blazing fire, it may also extinguish, but the platform where it is never extinguished, that is spiritual platform. That is spiritual.”
Wood, Smoke and Fire