Why one is born in high family, rich family? Why other is poor family, or one is born in lower animals, one is born in . . . as demigods? What is that reason? Kāraṇa. The reason is kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. He has associated with a particular type of the material qualities, therefore he has to accept a particular type of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Therefore we are instructing our students, "Associate with the good qualities." Good qualities.
The best quality of association is devotional service, the devotees, because they're transcendental, above goodness. Above goodness. Just like you are living in this temple. This is above goodness according to Vedic . . . if you live in the forest, that is goodness, association with goodness, because there is no material contamination, simple life in the forest, or in the village . . . not in the village, in the forest. Therefore formerly all the sages and saintly person they used to live in the forest. That is goodness. And if you live in the city, that is association with passion. And in the city if you live in the brothel, the liquor shop, gambling, that is association with ignorance. Three kinds of. But if you live in the temple, that is transcendental; that is Vaikuṇṭha.
So in this way we have to detach ourself from the association of the three guṇas. Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna (BG 2.45): "My dear Arjuna, just become transcendental to the three guṇas." Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Who? Who can transcend these three guṇas? We have to go above goodness. Here in this material world goodness is supposed to be very nice quality, but here the goodness also, nice, temporary. There is chance of being affected, or infected with the other quality, sattva-rajas-tamo guṇa.