Marshall Your Thoughts And Overcome Them

Marshall Your Thoughts And Overcome Them

Anup Taneja


In physics power of orientation signifies that though the mass of energy is present, current does not flow unless it is connected to the magnet. But once it is connected, the electric current flows through the power of orientation. In the same way, even though Kundalini power resides within us, it remains dormant. This is because we are not able to connect ourselves to the spiritual currents that emanate from the Source.
The scattered rays of thoughts, vrittis, keep rising and subsiding in the lake of chitta, the mind-stuff all the time, causing distractions. As a result , our mental energy is dissipated in trivial matters and thoughts of hatred, jealousy and selfishness occupy our minds. According to the Yoga-Sara Upanishad, a vritti is a whirlpool in the mind-lake , assuming many forms and is subject to incessant modifications or parinama.
What makes the vrittis arise in the chitta Swami Sivananda said that vrittis owe their origin to samskaras, latent impressions and vasanas, intense desires. When vritti subsides, a definite impression gets imprinted in the subconscious mind which is called samskara. All the samskaras put together are the sanchita karma, the sum total of all karmas that accompanies the individual even after death.
The Yoga-Sara Upanishad says that when an individual dies, his astral body of 17 tattvas comprising five each of the senses, organs of action, vital airs and the mind and intellect get activated and carry the sanchita karma to the mental plane. This forms the basis for his next birth on the earth-plane . Thus an individual gets caught in the vicious cycle of the souls transmigration from the physical to the astral zone and vice versa.
Spiritual sadhana therefore lies in purging the mind of all impurities through yoga. Patanjali said that yoga is the stillness of the vrittis or modifications of the mind that is under the constant sway of the three qualities or gunas of prakritisattva or purity, rajasor passion and tamas or inertia.
According to Swami Sivananda , ahamkara or ego is the selfarrogating principle that creates mamata or mine-ness the root cause of all human suffering. All vrittis emanate from the aham vritti or ithought . He suggests that lower vrittis like anger and hatred should be annihilated by taking recourse to the corresponding higher vrittis like forgiveness and love. Such a seeker is then spontaneously able to direct his mind inwards through intense meditation, making it dissolve in Pure Consciousness . Through awakening of the Kundalini, he attains the exalted state of equalityconsciousness and becomes a yogarudha one who is firmly established in yoga.
The Yoga Vasishtha says sankalpa or thought through its power of discrimination generates this universe. The entire world is in reality a projection of the human mind: manomatram jagat. Extinction of sankalpas therefore is moksha, liberation.
Indeed, he who has rendered his mind pure by overcoming vrittis is the master of his own destiny. He is a potential creator and shaper of all worlds, inner and outer, which are a part of him and of which he is a part.