Let's do a self-exploration meditation on what is a vritti or what is a mind modification.
Sanskrit terms for the different vrittis will be used in this meditation along with their English translation.
The purpose of using the Sanskrit terms is to emphasize the value of vritti categorization detailed in the ancient Sanskrit scriptures.
Permit the eyes to close.
Allow the waker's body to relax.
Let thoughts and feelings freely move about.
Do not resist them.
Simply be.
Notice that thoughts are not always verbal or visual.
Simply a restlessness in the background of nothingness is also called a vritti,
A modification of the mind or in simple English,
A thought.
Recognize that there is a background of stillness on which there is some moving restlessness either in the form of a fully blown visual thought,
A verbal thought or feeling or sensation or simply a blurry restlessness.
Acknowledge the no-thingness behind the somethingness of these vrittis or modifications of the mind.
All vrittis,
Whether verbal thought,
Visual thought,
Feeling,
Sensation or an undercurrent of inexplicable restlessness,
All are simply noisy modifications of the mind or vrittis.
Instead of focusing on them,
Attend to their background silence.
Settle in the emptiness beyond.
Abide as the void.
From the stand of the silent,
Still no-thingness,
Recognize that any moving noise of somethingness is a vritti.
No-thingness can only project no-thingness.
Hence,
Nothing that appears to be something is a vritti.
Vritti is a modified appearance of nothing,
No-thing.
In short,
Vrittis only create an illusion of something.
Illusions could be related to the subtle senses or tanmatra in Sanskrit.
Illusions could be related to elements or bhuta in Sanskrit.
They could be related to gross senses or indriya in Sanskrit.
Illusions could be related to the breath or prana in Sanskrit.
Illusions could be related to physical organs or dhatu in Sanskrit.
Illusions could be related to qualities and imbalances,
Guna and dosha in Sanskrit.
Memorizing Sanskrit terms is unimportant.
Simply recognize that these are only vrittis or modifications of the mind,
Responsible for creating illusions.
Let's dive into an example of how a vritti creates illusion.
Take the example of a dream scene.
Perception of sight of running feet appears and disappears.
In Sanskrit,
Pāyukarmendriya appears and disappears.
The field of silent no-thingness in the background remains.
A sensation of panting breath appears and disappears.
In Sanskrit,
Prana and apana vāyu appear and disappear.
While the field of silent still no-thingness in the background remains.
The sensation of sweat trickling down the face appears and disappears.
In Sanskrit,
Annamaya kosha and jala dhatu appear and disappear.
The field of silent still no-thingness remains.
A thought regarding the feet being tired appears and disappears.
That is,
Manomaya kosha along with māṁsā dhātu asti dhātu appear and disappear.
While the field of silent still no-thingness remains.
The perception of sight of an alien scary face appears and disappears.
In Sanskrit,
Rūpa tanmātra and cakṣur indriya appear and disappear.
The field of silent still no-thingness remains.
The perception of sound of a scream appears and disappears.
That is,
Shabda tanmātra and bhākha karmendriya appear and disappear.
While the silent still no-thingness remains.
The feeling of fear appears and disappears.
In Sanskrit,
Manomaya kosha appears and disappears.
The field of silent still no-thingness remains.
The dream suddenly disappears.
Weaker's body on a bed suddenly appears.
Sparsh indriya appears.
The field of silent still no-thingness remains.
Perception of movement of waker's body sitting up in bed appears and disappears.
The field of silent still no-thingness remains.
Now,
The memory sews together all these vrittis and creates a story.
A continuous story.
It is an illusory story of a nightmare experienced by a waker lying in bed.
Several illusions are created by memory here.
Illusion No.
1 There is a waker lying in bed.
Illusion No.
2 The waker lying in bed possesses a mind that is experiencing a dream.
Illusion No.
3 The waker sees a nightmare happening in his mind.
Illusion No.
4 I am the waker,
Limited to an external physical waking world,
Which is separate from the dream world which is in the mind.
These are only a few examples of how vrittis sew together a story.
Vrittis continue to unify and divide continuously,
Regurgitating illusion after illusion.
Are you able to see the reality that remains the same in the background?
Ask yourself,
Do I get captivated by such stories created by vrittis?
Or have I developed the dispassion that is required to see reality as it is?
Do I see the reality that there is always only one arising at a time?
Means,
Only one vritti at a time?
Do I see that every vritti randomly appears and disappears?
Am I able to see that there is no cause-effect relationship between any two vrittis?
Am I able to see that there is no separate dream vritti and no separate waking vritti?
They are one and the same.
Am I able to see that no vritti continues forever?
No vritti is permanent.
Am I dehypnotized enough to see that every vritti carries its own illusion box full of deceptive tricks?
Am I able to witness the vrittis as simply knowledge and nothing else?
Like the knowledge of some actor acting out a scene on a movie screen.
Simply knowledge.
Can I remain as the peripheral awareness field devoid of a center?
Can I break out of the addiction to this illusion?
Am I able to see that the magic key is to hold on to the field of silent,
Still nothingness?
Hold on to the field of silent,
Still nothingness.
Hold on to the field of silent,
Still nothingness.
