Central Insights:
- Practicing concentration of Vritti (mental flow) on Bhagwan.
Key Points:
- Practice detachment from the three bodies, purifying the Vritti to focus on Bhagwan’s Murti (divine form).
Explanation:
In this Vachanamrut, Maharaj sat for a moment in a meditative posture, gave darshan (a sacred sight), and then began to speak, “Although the Vritti of the eyes is formless, when it encounters a visible object, it becomes fixed upon it. Though the eye is inherently non-tangible, it still gets caught up in the physical. Therefore, this Vritti is also considered physical, dominated by the Pruthvi-tattva (earth element). In truth, the flow of Vritti arises from Chaitanya (pure consciousness) and is thus beyond the five elements and divine in nature. However, due to an eternal habit of grasping only sense objects, and because the Pancha Vishay (five sense objects) are dependent on the Pancha Bhut (five great elements), the Vritti of each sense has become gross and dominated by the five elements.”
Maharaj says, “When the aspirant focuses on Bhagwan’s Murti with one-pointedness and places his Vritti there, the element-dominance in that Vritti gradually decreases, and in the end, the material tendencies dissipate, bringing divinity into the Vritti. As long as the Vritti craves the Pancha Vishay, its material tendency grows stronger. As these sense objects are removed from the Vritti’s focus, the Vritti becomes increasingly divine.”
“When even the objects of Prakruti and Purush (the primary principles in Sankhya philosophy) fail to affect the Vritti, it remains undisturbed by them and maintains a lack of inclination towards them, then that Vritti is considered free of Maya-based tendencies.” Maharaj then gave the example of an arrow without an iron head, which, when thrown at a wall, bounces back and falls away. In the same way, when one reaches the state where they cannot grasp Pancha Vishay or Maya-based inclinations, the Vritti is said to be divine. When, with this divine state, the Vritti collides with Bhagwan’s Murti, light radiates within it, intense love for Bhagwan’s Murti arises, and it attains profound rest within that form.
Maharaj says that the Vritti becomes absorbed in the Murti, which is known as the Yogi’s true state of sleep. However, merging into Sushupti (deep sleep associated with Tamogun) is not considered true rest for a Yogi. Maharaj says that anyone wanting to fix their Vritti on Bhagwan must remain extremely pure-hearted, which involves renouncing all impure material inclinations and maintaining the awareness of oneself as distinct from the three bodies, identifying as Atma or Aksharbrahm. This practice quickly bears fruit. Maharaj illustrated this concept with the metaphor of a spider’s web to clarify the practice on a gross level. In reality, Atma-Chaitanya (the conscious self) and its Vritti are not separate, but by using a concrete example, Maharaj conveys the idea more accessibly. Maharaj has arranged this clear metaphor of keeping oneself distinct from one’s own Vritti and using it to dwell in Bhagwan, so that the practice becomes easy to grasp.
Glossary
| Vritti – Mental flow The flow of mental activity or thought process. In this context, Vritti refers to the mental focus or inclination, which can either be material or spiritual depending on its focus. |
| Murti – Divine form of God Refers to Bhagwan’s physical or imagined divine form, which provides joy and spiritual connection during contemplation. |
| Pruthvi-tattva – Earth element One of the five great elements (Pancha Bhut), representing the material aspect of creation, which influences the gross tendencies of the Vritti. |
| Chaitanya – Pure consciousness The essential consciousness that is divine and not bound by material limitations, from which the Vritti arises and is ultimately guided towards the divine. |
| Pancha Vishay – Five sense objects The five material objects of the senses—sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell—which influence the mind’s Vritti towards materiality and away from spiritual focus. |
| Pancha Bhut – Five great elements The five fundamental elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) that form the basis of material creation and influence the sensory experiences of the soul. |
| Prakruti – Nature (material world) The primary material cause of the universe in Sankhya philosophy, consisting of the three gunas (attributes) that shape the physical and mental worlds. |
| Purush – Cosmic Being A concept in spiritual philosophy referring to the supreme being or universal soul that is the source of creation. |
| Sushupti – Deep sleep The state of unconsciousness or deep sleep, where the mind is not active, and the individual does not experience desires. |
| Tamogun – Mode of ignorance The quality associated with laziness, delusion, and lack of clarity. |
| Atma – Soul The true self, distinct from the physical body and mind. |
| Aksharbrahm – The eternal and unchanging divine realm The supreme divine existence or state that is beyond the material world, often referenced in Swaminarayan philosophy. |
| Yogi – Devotee engaged in Spiritual Yogic Practices |
| Vritti Absorption – Mental focus merging with Bhagwan’s Murti |
| Spider’s Web – Metaphor for spiritual practice A metaphor used by Maharaj to explain the relationship between the soul, mind (Vritti), and Bhagwan, indicating how one should detach from material tendencies and focus the mind entirely on Bhagwan’s divine form, much like a spider weaving its web. |