The Concept of Maya: Illusion vs. Reality
Introduction: The on-going question of what is real
In both the distant past and today, people have been asking themselves: What is real? Do our senses truly show us the truth or are there other realities we don’t sense? Hindu thinkers reply to the question of life with Maya which goes beyond meaning and leads us to deeper philosophical thoughts. Often called “illusion,” Maya is not just in your mind and it also does not mean there is no world. It enables us to see how life appears different from its deepest and most important parts. This blog will give a thorough look into the meaning of Maya, where it comes from and how it affects our perspective today. Understanding How the Maya Started: A Philosophical Look Maya is a central idea in Vedantic philosophy, particularly as taught by Advaita Vedanta which is credited to Adi Shankaracharya. According to the Upanishads, Maya masks the One Reality as the many things and people we see. They teach that Brahman is what everything comes from and is a permanent and immovable truth. It is shapeless, shapeless and unaffected by time or divides between opposites. As a result, because of Maya, things that should not fade appear temporary, things that truly are appear unreal and the One comes to seem like many. It is Maya that changes the ocean into separate waves, hiding from us the fact that all those waves are water. Not a Mirage, but One That Looks Different
We Can See It; It’s Just Often Mistaken
Many people misunderstand the point that Maya stands for the world being false. In Vedanta, Maya ought to be interpreted as relative existence, not that non-existence (asat). There is a reality to the world we see, but everything is actually incomprehensible to simple, straight thinking.
Remember the idea of a movie projected on a screen. The people, their feelings and the events all look very real, sometimes overwhelming us. When the lights go on, it’s clear we were only looking at projected videos. Maya operates similarly—it is strong and steady, just like scripture, but it isn’t the complete truth.
The change seen in Maya is mostly driven by the Three Gunas.
Various Hindu writings often describe Maya as having three moving gunas.
Sattva means purity, clarity and harmony.
Rajas (action, ambition and activity)
Inertia, ignorance, darkness (names of the three forms of Tamas)
Because these three gunas are always interacting, we see a wide range of experiences. This balance affects all our senses, ideas and emotions. Maya operates through these gunas, preventing us from leaving birth, death and rebirth, until we gain awareness through discovering the truth. Studying Maya as described in the Bhagavad Gita: Krishna’s Teachings Lord Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita: Anyone who surrenders to me because I am difficult to understand can easily release themselves from illusion. This is what spirituality in essence is: action marked by divine association. Because it is made from the gunas, this Maya of mine is a challenge to overcome. However, only those who depend solely on Him can make it past it. In this story, Maya is called divine because, while maybe not praiseworthy, she has her place in the overall system. Therefore, we cause problems when we take it to be the full and final truth. We must be devoted, come to know ourselves well and surrender to grow past it.
The Everyday Uses of Maya You don’t need to be in the forest or become a monk to learn about Maya. We see it through the way we: Look for status, possessions and pleasing feelings, hoping they will provide permanent joy. We measure and evaluate both ourselves and others just by their temporary roles, not seeing our common connection spiritually. Don’t base our self-worth on what others believe, but on the things we know about ourselves. Today, Maya is seen as consumerism, ego, distraction and being emotionally caught up in despair. The result? Anxiety, unhappiness and always feeling there is something important I am missing. Seeing Maya’s wisdom allows us to step back with compassion rather than treat her coldly. It leads us to interact with things around us, not ruled by wanting or fear, but by understanding and peace. A Step Through Maya: From Mistake to Wakefulness The basis of all great spiritual traditions is that we should look past the things right in front of us. Hinduism places moksha at the top of its spiritual goals which is liberation from illusion. This freedom isn’t meant to let us leave, but to help us understand we are part of everything. We are really not the body, not the mind, nor the ego; we are only pure consciousness experiencing everything. Both those who study, devote themselves and practice meditation work toward learning this truth. The truth that “Tat Tvam Asi” means You Are That (Brahman) helps us see that all existences are one. Lastly, I think it’s important to look past the stereotypes and explore what reality looks like. This is not a problem with the universe—this is the universe’s design at root. It helps us interact with life, gain its lessons, grow during it and achieve more than it can provide. Just as a lovely dream fascinates us, the world can show us the way to wake up. Should the world’s confusion or your own desires upset you, try to take a break. Standardize this by asking: Are you seeing truthfully or just on the surface level? As awareness sets in, you may find that the ego’s influence is lessening and the calm, stable presence shows itself. The sages, in fact, put it this way: The real thing is Brahman, the world is just an illusion and the self is simply Brahman.