MAAYA

By

Achala Bhakthan

The concept:

A very familiar word, indeed!  Do you know what it refers to?  Delusion, hey!  What is it and why does it exist? What is its source?  What is the effect? What is the cause?  Is it essential for a pe..\index.htmaceful living?  Has it any direct effect on our life? If it is not desirable, how to overcome it ? When it ends? These are some of the queries that arise when we hear this word. All of us know what is delusion.  Projecting an unreal thing as a real one.  It is like a mirage in a marubhoomi.  The nearer you go, farther it wades.  A few examples are looking at a twisted rope lying on the floor and mistaking it for a snake.  Looking at a lamp post in dim light and mistaking it for a ghost.   Looking at the sky and mistaking it for a roof over the earth.   A wrong conception indeed!  Now, it is easy to find out the cause.  We are mistaking an object as something else.  This is because we have no knowledge of the reality in it but see a wrong projection. This is due to ignorance of the real – mistaking unreal as real.  Thus, the cause is Ignorance. Effect!  Acquiring wrong knowledge. Getting self-cheated.  The concept of Maaya, therefore, is presenting unreal things as real and deluding.  The effect is we are carried away far and far from reality. 

Its relation with Self:

Maaya, we have seen, is projecting unreal things as real. We have heard in our Scriptures that we are suffering in the world due to Maaya. We also know SELF is Real. Then, how is Maaya related to the SELF?  Is SELF subjected to Maaya?  Maya functions as a shield over the SELF, it is a veil (curtain) shielding the SELF or it is a mask over the SELF, covering IT from our vision or understanding.  Result! The reality evades us; the resultant ignorance projects the reality as unreal.  Ignorance of reality produces wrong perception of everything.  An example is : Dream State.  In dream state we see certain event as though it is really happening and we get identified with it and play our role – of course at mental level.  However, during dream we see our physical mental and intellectual faculties producing results.  We have no idea that we are dreaming but feel that we are really going through that experience consciously.  Only after waking, we find that what we have seen was a dream and not a reality.  Thus, so far as we were ignorant of the fact that we are dreaming, we took the situation then as real.  This is what is known as perceivng unreal as real.  Is it not ignorance?  So what is causing Maaya?  Ignorance of the reality, isn’t it?

Its Source:

Now we know the cause is Ignorance.  But, has Ignorance any existence?  Is it a real phenomenon? No, Ignorance means  ‘not having the knowledge’.  Knowledge means understanding the Real as Real.  Therefore, Knowledge is reality.  Not having Knowedge is Ignorance.  Thus, ignorance has no independent existence at all, because “not having knowledge is ignorance’. Now, we have seen ‘Delusion caused by ignorance of reality’ is called Maaya. So, delusion is the effect of Ignorance and if there is no Ignorance, there is no delusion but Knowledge.  Thus, due to ignorance, the reality is covered or masked.  The thing that masks the Reality is called Maaya.  Where is this mask coming from?  See the cobweb created by the spider.  What it is?  It is created by a solution coming out of the spider itself.  After it makes the cobweb, what happens? The spider gets entangled in it, isn’t it?  Similarly, Maaya is a viel arising out of SELF due to ignorance of the Reality.  However, Maaya and SELF are not same.  Maaya is a product of SELF, if you want to say.  This is just as all other things subsisting in the SELF.  This seems to be a paradoxical statement, because Maaya is opposed to SELF (Real) and is unreal.  How can unreality and reality be same?  Please do not conclude so.  They are not same.  Unreality has no separate existence.  It is only a state of “not being real”.  To understand this concept little clearly, let us take the example of light and darkness.  Is there a state as darkness?  When there is no light, we call it darkness, because when the light is lit, the darkness is not seen.  So lightlessness is darkness and darkness, as such, has no existence.  Now I can boldly state that the source of Maaya is SELF and once it arises, its characteristic is to shield the Reality like a curtain as said earlier.

Its effect:

Maaya drags us away from Reality and makes us attached to all unreal objects as real and run after them, possess them, get attached to them and then indulge in them, thinking they are giving the pleasure.  Ultimately, we end with sorrow.  Thus, we lose site of the reality and become possessive of all unreal things and ultimately forget about our real nature.  Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Madha, Maatsaryaadhi gunas overcome us and we get entangled in the worldly pursuits (materialistic) like the cobweb created by the Spider getting entangled in it.  Thus, we lose site of our spiritual nature and always remain within this unreal circle of materialism.  It has thus a direct effect on our life as it always misguides and deludes us.  We know now very well that it is unnecessary for a peaceful living, nay it is a hindrance to our peaceful living., because we remain always ignorant of the reality and do not come out of this unreal circle like the spider going round and round inside the cobweb itself.

How to over come it?

The spider comes out of the conbweb net by breaking it at any point.  Similarly, we have to cut asunder this veil, for which we should gain the knowledge given by our scriptures/Veda, which are the essential life principles self-evolved by great seers through their spiritual sadhanas.  Reading scriptures, following the tenets given therein in our daily life, having a systematic planned life guided by the Vedantic principles and always remembering about our real nature and guarding against this thing called Maaya.  This means, we have to undo what we have done to ourselves with the influence of this Maaya.  A regular sadhana called meditation, aatma vichar, self-enquiry or whatever you call it.   Our scriptures have prescribed four ways to attain this knowledge – cut asunder the ignorance and know the reality.  They are Karma Yoga, Bhakthi Yoga, Gnaana Yoga and Hata Yoga, about which I have already discussed in my earlier articles separately.  In Kaliyuga, the easiest method is Nama Smarana, which enables you to reamin constantly in the reality.

When it ends?

It is crystal clear from the above discussion that it ends the moment we get the knowledge of the real just as darkness disappears the moment light comes.  In fact Maaya is not a product that arises, exists and ends.    It has no existence.  It is unreal but has the power to delude.  It is a mirage. The more you go near it (look at it or contemplate on it) it wades away.  It is a hallucination.

Conclusion:

We have seen Maaya is the power in the SELF to delude and like all other things, it has its origin in SELF itself, though it has no separate existence.  There is nothing in the world, which has no base in the SELF and all the worlds and appearances are nothing but the reflection of the SELF caused through our ignorance of reality. Now, you know what to do to guard against the Maaya as you have acquired the knowledge.

THOU ART THAT