Maya is a Hindu concept and many scholars translate it to mean illusion. It largely refers to the material world and its pleasures and enticements.
Religious leaders regularly advise us to be wary of Maya, to be vigilant so we are not carried away. They see Maya as a hindrance on the path to meeting God. You will often hear the statement, “One who is lost to Maya will never meet God.”
I have explored the notion of Maya and offer you a surprising answer about how Maya is created and what is Maya. Understanding and appreciating this answer can show you how to make spiritual progress.
So, let’s answer the question what is Maya? Now, if we understood, what creates Maya, we will have a better handle on what is Maya?
The creator of Maya is the mind. This is worth repeating. The creator of Maya is your mind.
Maya is the projection of the mind. Everything that you see in the world, your relationships, assets, reputation, and even your own identity is all a projection of your mind. In fact, God itself is a projection of the mind. Because the mind thinks, you are able to appreciate God.
Like in a movie theater, the projector and the film it is playing determines what is projected on the screen. Our minds, through our individual lenses and filters creates a unique projection. Our mind is the projector that brings alive the world for us. Everything we see and feel in the world is through our mind. Maya is a projection of the mind.
If Maya is a projection of the mind, then we can’t run away from it. It would be running away from the mind. Also, Maya cannot be chastised and put down, because it, after all, is a creation of the mind.
The idea is not to run away from Maya, but to develop the ability to turn it off. We have the control to this metaphorical projector. We can shut down Maya, if we completely quiet the mind.
When we quiet the mind, we lose sense of our body, we lose sense of our assets, relationships, our identity, and we lose sense of even God. When you shut down the projector, the entire projection stops, you cannot stop the projection partially.
When the mind is completely quiet, then we transcend beyond the mind. We transcend beyond Maya and the material world. That ushers us into a new world — the spiritual world!
“At your core, you are peace. Be who you are. Be peace.”
— Ravi Kathuria, Author, “Happy Soul. Hungry Mind.”
This is a Hindi Video. If you would like an English rendition, please let us know.
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