Tamasic means, "I'm giving money. I do not know what will be the effect, what will be the result. I do not know." Just like a man comes to me—I have seen in America, Bowery Street, as soon as your car stops some this bums, they come, (laughter) and they wash your motorcar with a towel, and the man gives him one dollar, "All right." But he does not know that this man, as soon as he gets this one dollar, he will purchase one bottle and drink and lie down on the street. I have seen it. That is called tamasic dān. You do not . . . because you are helping him to become more drunkard. This is tamasic.
Similarly, the whole world is running on under three guṇas: sattvic, rajasic, tamasic. Sattvic, there is sattvic dān, sattvic charity, rajasic charity, tamasic charity. Similarly, religious system also: sattvic religious, rajasic religion, tamasic religion. Everything, whatever you do—everything is going on, any activity—it can be sattvic, it can be rajasic, it can be tamasic. But when it comes to the sattvic platform, then it is perfect. If it is on the platform of rajasic and tamasic, it is useless.
But they do not know what is sattvic, rajasic, tamasic. Ignorance, simply ignorance. Defective human civilization. These things have to be learned if you want to make your life perfect, because this is the opportunity, human life. You don't think that the child which is being killed, we are laughing. No. You may also be put into that condition. You may be put into that condition. That we should know. But they do not know it.