Tamas

Originating in Samkhya philosophy, tamas is one of the three gunas of Hinduism. It has been translated to mean "too inactive" (ie, tamasic), negative, lethargic, dull or slow and refers to one of three possible qualities (ie, gunas) or mental states of a person's mind. Usually it is associated with darkness or ignorance. A tamas quality also can imply that a person has an self-destructive or entropic state of mind. That person is constantly pursuing destructive activities.

The other two Vedic mental states are Sattva and Rajas.

It is used in Hindu diagnostics to assess conditions and diets in Ayurveda.

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References

"The Ayurveda Encyclopedia" by Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha

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