Vritti | The Imprints of the Mind | वृत्ति

Link to the Video on YouTube Channel:

Vritti | The Imprints of the Mind

SCRIPT:

“When was the last time you stopped while walking on the beach to look back at the footprints you left behind?

Have you ever thought that our human mind might work the same way?

Allow me to explain what I mean.

Let’s explore a few sets of footprints on the beach — one belonging to a little child, another to a young man, and a third to someone tall and heavy.

Now, we all know what causes footprints to disappear. As the waves from the ocean rush over the shore, as the wind softly blows across the dry sand, and as more and more people walk over them, your footprints gradually fade away.

If I were to ask which of the three sets of footprints would disappear first — the child’s, the young man’s, or that of someone tall and heavy — what would you say? You’d probably think it’s a no-brainer: obviously, the child’s footprints would vanish first since its the lightest of all three. And you’d be right.

Just as we leave our footprints while walking on the sand, we also leave subtle imprints on our mind as we journey through life. Each of our thoughts, our Saankalp, every interaction — whether with people or objects — and every experience we go through, leaves behind its own unique mark on the mind, in the form of memories: some pleasant, others not so pleasant.

These imprints, known as Vrittis in Hindi, go on to influence and shape our behaviour, or attitude, which creates the vibrations and atmosphere around us.

While some imprints are light, like the footprints of a child, others may run deeper and tend to stay with us much longer. In some cases, we may even carry them unknowingly throughout our lifetime.

So next time you take a stroll on the beach, or find yourself walking on sand, perhaps pause for a moment and look back at your footprints. Let that simple act remind you to self-reflect — of the imprints from the past still held in your mind. Some of them you may already be aware of, while others might still lie hidden, quietly shaping your life.

After all, most of us are very careful about what goes into our stomachs — the food we eat or feed our families. We’re even particular about choosing the right kind of fuel for our cars.

Yet how rarely we think about what we feed our minds — through what we see, what we hear, and the thoughts we choose to dwell on. For all these things quietly shape our mind and, ultimately, who we become. 

If only we could be just a little more mindful — a little more aware — of all that we feed our mind our senses, our lives might grow richer in meaning, and maybe the world itself could become a gentler, better place.”