Qualities or Gunas of Maya
Maya has three qualities or gunas. These are called sattva, rajas and tamas. These three inseparable qualities exist simultaneously in all of matter, all the time.
Just as it's not possible to have water (H20) without the "O", oxygen atoms, so it's not possible to find a situation where one or more of its qualities have been eliminated. All three remain together, although at any given time, one of these qualities predominates over the other two.
Each quality has its own characteristics. Since both the external world and the internal world of the mind are made of matter, the qualities of the three gunas are seen in both. For example, in the external world we see:
Sattva -- equilibrium and serenity
Rajas -- dynamism and movement
Tamas -- inertia and stagnancy
In the internal world of the mind, these are experienced as:
Sattva -- Purity, compassion, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, comprehension, recognition, generosity, patience, kindness
Rajas -- Desire, attachment, possessiveness, hyperactivity, fear, nervousness, anxiety, aggressiveness, competitiveness, power, prestige, name and fame
Tamas -- Impurity, greed, anger, dullness, envy, jealousy, delusion, confusion, depression, stupor, unconsciousness, coma
