The word MAYA is frequently used in philosophy and religion. Every one is familiar with the name but is unable to comprehend what it is. The Upanishads declare that Brahman is real while the universe is illusory or unreal. “ Brahma satyam jagan mithya.” It is very difficult to believe that the world that we live in is unreal. How can we imagine that our experiences, relationships, contacts are unreal? But philosophy again and again reminds us that the world is unreal. It is so because it appears to be real while in essence it is unreal or illusory or 'mithya'. One interpretation is that truth or Sathya is permanent, constant, never changing nor can be changed at any time. That entity is called BRAHMAN. But the world is ever changing, according to seasons and time and liable for total destruction. Yugas have changed and the world too along with them! Thus it is the cardinal quality of Maya to project the Real as Unreal and the unreal as the Real! The appearance of the ordinary rope, in darkness, as a snake, is also an illustration of Maya. The size and shape of the rope in total darkness creates an illusion that it is a snake though the snake is not present there! Darkness represents ignorance or Avidya. That is dispelled soon after illumination or knowledge!
Maya can be considered as the cosmic power of the Lord. It is both the deluding and liberating power according to certain conditions. As a deluding power it is called Avidya equated to ignorance and darkness. Man is steeped in ignorance even from his birth as he thinks that the world is real and his wife, children and property are real and permanent! The grip of Maya is so great and terrible that man is never free from it till his countless births! The Lord says, “Mama Maya duratyaya”—It is impossible to overcome My Maya. It is interesting to note that the creator of Maya is never bound by it. Like the Spider that weaves the web and catches all insects but remains unaffected by the sticky nature of the web, God has the sport of watching the hapless mortals caught in His web! According to Sri RamaKrishna “ Force in action is Maya, force in potency is Brahman.” Brahman is tranquil while Maya is turbulent. Shakthi or energy is said to be the embodiment of Maya. Brahman is fire while its burning property is Shakti. Can there be creation without Energy or Shakthi? Adi Sankara in his Soundarya Lahari glorifies Sri Mata’s power. It is by having Her ‘pada dhuli' that Brahma creates, Vishnu protects and Siva destroys the universe and its creatures! Intelligence and Energy represent Siva and Shakthi. Both are necessary for creation. clay and water are both needed for making a pot. Siva alone cannot create without the help of Shakti! She is the personification of Maya!
It is Maya that prevents man from realizing God! Like the cloud that covers the sun Maya hides the deity. When the cloud moves away the sun shines brilliantly. Similarly when Maya is removed God is realized in full. God is inextricably interfused with Maya. It is impossible for the ordinary mortal to understand Maya and get rid of it. It requires a rare breed of person who can control his senses and devote himself to God always leaving aside all his worldly attachments. The swan is supposed to drink only milk from a mixture of water and milk! One should be like the swan that can leave aside the water and drink deep the fresh milk if he wants to realize God! A rare type of saint called Paramahamsa is the only qualified person to reach God! One who realizes the nature of Maya is free from it as it flees like a thief detected!
While mostly Maya is the deluding force plunging mortals into insurmountable troubles and anxieties, the other side of it is the liberating force. The former is called Avidya Maya and the latter Vidya Maya.It is Vidya Maya that leads man to God. Avidya Maya leads man astray and far away from God. Vidya Maya is characterized by the qualities of Knowledge, devotion, non attachment and compassion that form the royal road to reach God. Without Maya God cannot be revealed. The first thing to do to know God is to know ‘Sakthi, the manifested power of God!
Maya is the chief cause for “ attainment of Supreme Knowledge and final beatitude! The duality we see in life is because of Maya as well as relativity. When one transcends Maya, there is no enjoyer or the object of enjoyment! There is total loss of individual identity as the individual merges in to the BRAHMAN! Maya never hurts the devotee of God. The cat never hurts her kitten while catching them with its teeth. But it kills the mouse with the same teeth! Thus Maya is razor like and double edged! One has to decide if he wants to tread the path of God or be drowned in the illusion of Maya and worldliness!
Maya can be considered as the cosmic power of the Lord. It is both the deluding and liberating power according to certain conditions. As a deluding power it is called Avidya equated to ignorance and darkness. Man is steeped in ignorance even from his birth as he thinks that the world is real and his wife, children and property are real and permanent! The grip of Maya is so great and terrible that man is never free from it till his countless births! The Lord says, “Mama Maya duratyaya”—It is impossible to overcome My Maya. It is interesting to note that the creator of Maya is never bound by it. Like the Spider that weaves the web and catches all insects but remains unaffected by the sticky nature of the web, God has the sport of watching the hapless mortals caught in His web! According to Sri RamaKrishna “ Force in action is Maya, force in potency is Brahman.” Brahman is tranquil while Maya is turbulent. Shakthi or energy is said to be the embodiment of Maya. Brahman is fire while its burning property is Shakti. Can there be creation without Energy or Shakthi? Adi Sankara in his Soundarya Lahari glorifies Sri Mata’s power. It is by having Her ‘pada dhuli' that Brahma creates, Vishnu protects and Siva destroys the universe and its creatures! Intelligence and Energy represent Siva and Shakthi. Both are necessary for creation. clay and water are both needed for making a pot. Siva alone cannot create without the help of Shakti! She is the personification of Maya!
It is Maya that prevents man from realizing God! Like the cloud that covers the sun Maya hides the deity. When the cloud moves away the sun shines brilliantly. Similarly when Maya is removed God is realized in full. God is inextricably interfused with Maya. It is impossible for the ordinary mortal to understand Maya and get rid of it. It requires a rare breed of person who can control his senses and devote himself to God always leaving aside all his worldly attachments. The swan is supposed to drink only milk from a mixture of water and milk! One should be like the swan that can leave aside the water and drink deep the fresh milk if he wants to realize God! A rare type of saint called Paramahamsa is the only qualified person to reach God! One who realizes the nature of Maya is free from it as it flees like a thief detected!
While mostly Maya is the deluding force plunging mortals into insurmountable troubles and anxieties, the other side of it is the liberating force. The former is called Avidya Maya and the latter Vidya Maya.It is Vidya Maya that leads man to God. Avidya Maya leads man astray and far away from God. Vidya Maya is characterized by the qualities of Knowledge, devotion, non attachment and compassion that form the royal road to reach God. Without Maya God cannot be revealed. The first thing to do to know God is to know ‘Sakthi, the manifested power of God!
Maya is the chief cause for “ attainment of Supreme Knowledge and final beatitude! The duality we see in life is because of Maya as well as relativity. When one transcends Maya, there is no enjoyer or the object of enjoyment! There is total loss of individual identity as the individual merges in to the BRAHMAN! Maya never hurts the devotee of God. The cat never hurts her kitten while catching them with its teeth. But it kills the mouse with the same teeth! Thus Maya is razor like and double edged! One has to decide if he wants to tread the path of God or be drowned in the illusion of Maya and worldliness!
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