Gita Chapter Seventeen

In chapter seventeen Lord Krishna classifies the three divisions of faith, revealing that it is these different qualities of faith in the Supreme that determine that character of living entities. These three types of faith determine one's consciousness in this world. Thus this chapter is entitled: The Three Divisions of Material Existence.
Verses 17.1 – 17.28
Each person develops a particular kind of faith depending on the combination of Gunas of material nature inherited and their blossoming as the person responds to the stimuli of surrounding environment. A person who is dominated by the Guna of passion tends to worship imaginary powers in the form of demons. A person who is dominated by ignorance tends to worship imaginary powers in the form of ghosts and spirits. Performing severe austerities or sacrifices, torturing their bodies, out of pride, ego, lust and attachment are driven by strong demonic passion.
The Gunas inherited influences food habits and vice a versa. Foods that seem attractive under the influence of the Guna of Goodness are generally those that are sweet, juicy, palatable and nourishing to help increase longevity purify existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Persons dominated by the Guna of passion like foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, pungent, dry and hot to cause pain, distress, and disease. Persons who are dominated by the passion of ignorance does not have problem in relishing stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean food, maybe cooked long before being eaten.
Persons under the influence of Guna goodness perform sacrifices as a matter of duty and devotional service without any expectation of reward, while the force of the Guna of passion forces people to sacrifice out of pride or for some beneficial material reward / fruit in return. Persons under the influence of the Guna of ignorance make sacrifices in brutal ways not recommended by any scripture.
The austerity of the body consists of worship of the God, the brahmanas, the spiritual master and superiors like the parents, practice of cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy, serenity, self-control, purity of thought and nonviolence in life, and in speaking truthfully without offending. This threefold austerity is practiced by persons under the influence of Goodness Guna not for any material benefit but as offering in devotional service to God. Persons under the dominance of the passion Guna perform ostentatious penances and austerities only with the objective of gaining respect, honor and reverence. Under the influence of the Guna of ignorance, people perform penances, self-torture and austerities to destroy or injure others.
The Guna of goodness prompts people to gift to worthy persons in need as a matter of duty and without expectation of return, while charity influenced by the Guna of passion is motivated by expectation of some return or with a desire for results from actions, or as a matter of imposed duty most reluctantly performed. Charity given to unworthy people without consideration of appropriateness of time and place and with disrespect or contempt for the beneficiary of the receiver is the result of the Guna of ignorance.
The three syllables Om, Tat and Sat that for respectively the Supreme, the Absolute and the Truth (Brahman) are uttered recited while chanting Vedic hymns and during sacrifices, for the satisfaction of the Supreme. The transcendentalists perform sacrifices, charities, and penances always in the spirit of Om tat sat, to attain the Supreme. But sacrifices, austerities and charities performed without faith in the Supreme are nonpermanent and useless regardless of whatever rites are performed.