Part I: Chapter I / I

Vritis: What they are

When acurrent emanating from the spirit strikes any object – may be a physical thing, a mental feeling, an idea, or a sensory sensation –, and returns to its source, it is called a vriti. The vriti produces a modulation in the mind-stuff. All our knowledge of the world without and within comes from vritis or the rays of thought. A ray of light, reflected from or originating from an object, passes through the eyes to the brain, where it is converted into thought impression making us aware of the object.

Vritis are five kinds:

1. Parman: The relation ship between the pure soul and Prakriti or Nature is called Parman. In every manifestation, the pure soul finds its own essence at the core and nothing is apart and distinct from it.
   
   
2. Vipreh: The relationship between the knowing soul and Prakriti or Nature’s object is called Vipreh. It takes in and accepts the manifested form as it is, but remains skeptical of the one and active life- principle at the core of it.
   
   
3. Vikalp: It is the relationship that mind-ridden soul has with the objects, producing doubt and delusion as to the objects themselves, their existence, their intrinsic Nature and the life essence at their core.
   
   
4. Nidra: It is the relationship that the prana-covered soul has with the objects. It embraces in it's fold the twin state of dream and deep slumber, regardless of the existing surroundings.
   
   
5. Smriti: it is the relationship of the embodied soul with the objects of the world on the physical plane.

All these vritis constitute so many hurdles in the way of the soul seeking to understand its true and essential nature, which in reality is nothing but that of God.

Kabir therefore saith:

Soul is of the same essence as that of God.

Similarly, the Muslim divines express the same idea when they speak of the soul as Amar-i-Rabbi or the fiat of God.

If one could but clear the chit of the vritis (chit vriti nirodha, as it is called), there would be left nothing but pure essence of Godhead, each reflecting the Light of the other. Hence, as said already, we have the oft-repeated famous dicta on yoga as, –

Chit-vriti nirodha (clearing the mind of the mental oscillations ) is the essence of yoga.

Patanjali

At-one-ment of the soul and the Oversoul is yoga.

Yagyavalkya

Extrication of the soul from the materials of life by disrobing it of the enshrouding sheaths, is yoga.

Machhandra Nath and Gorakh Nath

The easiest, the most ancient, and the most natural way to gain the fruits of yoga, as taught by Kabir, Nanak and others before and after them, is that of Shabd Yoga, or Sehaj Yoga, as given by all the Master Saints from time immemorial.

When the spirit is able, by practice of the spiritual sadhna, to cast off, one by one, the various coverings, it becomes a pure spirit, complete in itself, a conscious entity, self-existent and self-luminous, ever the same and eternally free. According to the Saints, yoga is communion of the soul with the holy Word (God-into-expression), the Power of God or the spirit of God: Sruti, Sraosha, Kalma, Naam¹ or the Holy Ghost as variously designated by the various sages each in his own particular time.

_______________

Footnote: 1) For detailed explanation of these, please refer to the book 'Naam or Word' by the same author.