वृत्ति और चेतना

The चेतना / the consciousness is the static, local aspect of energy, and  the mind, the वृत्ति vritti / consciousness is the dynamic aspect of the same. The awareness or चित् / the चैतन्य / The Consciousness is only pure energy. Individuality is at the same time, the yet another aspect of  Consciousness. The Individuality is the Purusha element of the Consciousness, while the Prakriti is the collective existence. Attention is the individual aspect of Purusha, Ishvara is the Purusha that manifests as the Whole, Entire, Total Existence.

(Note : This is but a tentative approach only, and not the ultimate, complete and / or the perfect.)

Identification of the individual with the collective existence is the individuality. This manifests as the "I am"-sense as and in a  sentient being. This sense of being "I am" again resumes as the person. 

Energy is प्राण / the prANa, confined within the Time and space, is also beyond This Time and Space too. The assumed Present is this प्राण / prANa, the exact point where the individuality is experienced.

The experience is the phenomenon, an 'activity', while the consciousness is the (assumed) one who is supposed to go through the experience. The memory / information creates the illusion of past and future and the 'Time' appears to take place, as if it assumes its independent existence, whereas it is phenomenal, - for the time being only. 

The individual awareness, the चित् / चैतन्य / attention associated with the memory causes the illusion of one-self as a being and a person. The idea of birth is again attributed to this person and because we see others are 'born' and subsequently 'die'. This notion of being 'born' at some point in the assumed past is the beginning of 'ignorance' of the Self, -of the Reality, that was never born nor shall die at any point of time in the assumed future. This is the true, very 'witness' unaffected by assumed Time and Space. This is there, in all and every individual, and through the insight and attention one can understand and grasp this truth. And the 'person' is though a formal fact at the level of the collective existence.

वृत्ति / प्रत्यय / thought / prANa / consciousness, or the mode / movement of the mind in a person is the very foundation upon which the world (of the individual) appears to exist independent and apart from the individual 'self'.

Maharshi Patanjali presumably defines this "Ishvara" as the पुरुष / Purusha / the individual that is ever so untouched and unattached with the कर्म / the action and the consequences / conflict or the क्लेश / Klesha of the same :

ईश्वरप्रणिधानाद्वा।।२३।।

क्लेशकर्मविपाकाशयैरपरामृष्टः पुरुषविशेषः ईश्वरः।।२४।

तत्र निरतिशयं सर्वज्ञत्व-बीजम् बीजम्।।२५।।

In the ऐतरेयोपनिषद्, it is narrated, how This same assumed Ishvara is supposed to have desired, and out of that desire, the will, and  the determination existence was "created" :

ॐ आत्मा वा इदमेक एवाग्र आसीत्। नान्यत्किञ्चन मिषत्। स ईक्षत लोकान्नु सृजा इति।। १।।

श्वेताश्वतर उपनिषद् ३/३/१५ :

पुरुष एवेद्ँ सर्वं यद्भूतं यच्च भव्यम्।।

उतामृतत्वस्येशानो यदन्नेनातिरोहति।।१५।।

पुरुषः and ईशानः is to be noted.

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