The Vrittis of Anahata

Upward flow: Divine Aspiration: Keeping hope alive; joy and optimism rooted in the Soul.

Downward flow: Materialistic Desire: Chasing temporary pleasures to fill an inner void.

Hope can be a disturbance of contentment. While keeping hope alive is vital, it can be a distraction from the present moment. In its lower form, it is mundane desire; in its higher form, it is the optimistic aspiration for the Divine.

(Ka is the name of the soul in Ancient Egypt.)

Upward flow: Contemplation: Thoughtfulness, care, and meditative consideration.

Downward flow: Wasted Energy: Anxiety over imaginary situations and useless worry.

Cintā is a disturbance of peace. Worry is friction in the mind. Higher Cintā is deep, careful contemplation.

Worrying is a waste of energy. If you have a problem and can do something about it then do it, then you will have no reason to worry. If you can’t do anything about it, then it is pointless worrying about it. Don’t worry about imaginary situations that are more than likely not to happen.

Upward flow: Spiritual Arousal: The enormous effort to elevate the self and develop potential.

Downward flow: Mundane Struggle: Frantic, purposeless effort in the material world.

Effort is a disturbance of simply ‘being’ by pushing to achieve. Negative effort is the mundane struggle to survive; positive effort is the endeavour to arouse spiritual potential and elevate the self.

This is the enormous effort made to arouse potential through the development of spirituality, to elevate the self from the mundane.

Upward flow: Universal Love: Feeling complete in oneself; wanting the best for others without owning them.

Downward flow: Possessiveness: The need to own or “be completed by” another person.

A disturbance of unity. The “my-ness” that creates boundaries. Real love does not need to own or complete itself through another. When pure, it is universal fondness.

If you really love someone, you will not feel the need to own or possess them. When you love someone, you will want the best for them, you don’t need them to complete you if you are already complete in yourself. You can add to their life experience, rather than wanting them to give to you, or compete with you. You may even need to set them free to complete their life’s purpose.

Upward flow: Spiritual Sincerity: Humility and gratitude in one’s practice.

Downward flow: Arrogance/Hypocrisy: Pursuing outward displays of virtue over inner transformation.

Arrogance is a disturbance of truth. The pursuit of outward display over inner transformation. It is the vanity of the ego. The higher path is humble gratitude.

A lack of genuine sincerity in spiritual practices.

Upward flow: Discernment: Differentiating the Permanent (Self) from the Temporary (Object).

Downward flow: Judgementalism: Using “logic” to criticize others rather than refining oneself.

A disturbance of non-duality. While a disturbance to pure silence, it is the most necessary tool to choose kindness over cruelty and spirit over transitory things.

The ability to differentiate between the real and the unreal, the permanent and the temporary, the Self and the non-Self. Choose right over wrong, spirituality over transitory things. Remember that objects only give you momentary happiness. True joy is inside us.

Upward flow: Emotional Awareness: Noticing mental states with a softening, empathetic heart.

Downward flow: Mental Agitation: Getting caught in the “brokenness” of anxiety or incompetence.

A disturbance of stability. Mental agitation or lack of ease. By noticing these anxious thoughts without getting caught in them, we recognize them as temporary mental states rather than our identity

Reframe negative thoughts into more balanced or realistic ones. Instead of “I’m incompetent,” try “I’m learning and developing my skills.”

Upward flow: Soul-Identity: Identifying with the eternal and the imperishable.

Downward flow: Body-Conceit: Identifying solely with the body, ego-roles, and status.

A disturbance of totality. Identification of the Self with the impermanent. It is the “I-maker” that separates us from the cosmos.

Believing we are the body or experiences.

Upward flow: Passion for Truth: Using desire as a fuel for Divine seeking and service.

Downward flow: Greed/Avarice: An insatiable thirst for what is not yours.

A disturbance of satisfaction. Avarice and instability. Greed makes one a miser. Mastering your passions leads to the ability to use only what is necessary.

Greed for money and objects will make you miserable. Practice doing service for others, and avoid luxury. don’t want things that don’t belong to you, this leads to unhappiness for yourself and pain for others. Learn to master your passions and desires.

Upward flow: Skilful Means: Using diplomacy and tact to act for the greater good.

Downward flow: Duplicity: Deceit and “mask-wearing” to hide one’s own weaknesses.

A disturbance of integrity. It is the gap between what one feels and what one shows. True heart-centred living requires genuine sincerity.

Do not cheat or exploit others. Do not dominate someone to conceal your own ignorance or weakness. Do not pretend to be moral by criticizing the mistakes of others, which one secretly commits oneself. Don’t pretend to be what one is not, or feeling what one does not feel.

Vitarka (Ṭaṁ): In many texts, Vitarka is specifically “argumentativeness” or “reasoning.” But it is more about the restless logic that prevents one from feeling the heart’s devotion. Shift the energy from arguing the truth to inquiring into the truth.

A disturbance of intuition. It is the restless, circular logic that prevents one from sinking into the heart’s devotion. It becomes a distraction when the senses use that same energy to constantly evaluate and criticize the world.

Upward flow: Focused Inquiry: Using the mind’s initial impression as a “searchlight” or gateway to reach deeper, universal truths.

Downward flow: Intellectual Unrest: Using logic to argue, create doubt and fuel indecision or judgement.

Upward flow: Transformative Remorse: A deep sense of sympathy for the suffering of others and a soulful resolve to evolve and improve.

Downward flow: Self-Flagellation: Guilt and self-pity that focus on past mistakes that prevents growth.

A disturbance of forgiveness, through remorse and contrition. It can be the heavy fire of self-pity that consumes through shame or a deep sympathy for suffering that resolves into a better way of living.

Anutapa describes a deep feeling of sympathy and pity for the sufferings of others, coupled with a desire to help. It can also be a feeling of remorse for past wrongs and a resolve to change for the better then the disturbance returns to the stillness of grace.