Maya versus Reality (Hinduism)

Introduction: A lot of Sadhus tend to reject the realm of the material, stating that it is an illusion. This is not what Hinduism recommends. Rejecting the world is nothing but NIHILISM, a bitter philosophy that is nothing but a failure.

*MAYA VERSUS REALITY*

We are here on this planet for a finite amount of time...

and consequently this world is called maya/illusion, by Hindus.

This does imply we reject this world because our stay in it is temporary.

It only means that this concept stays in our minds as we go about negotiating & dealing with our lives. Or Maya. 

Why it is called "Maya" :

Because only something ETERNAL, something that will last forever - only such a thing is considered real by this outlook. 

All temporary things

their existence is ambiguous

after they cease to exist, after they dissolve, do they exist
except in memory? 

which is arbitrary, illusory, fleeting

As per this perspective something real is something that

will be forever available



Who are/were you?
before your father and mother conceived you?

...and...where do you long to be...?

Yanni believes passion is eternal...


Uriah Heep found his eternal person...


Deep Purple looks for the eternal in the echoes of the past...

I am The Living Principle in All Things

श्रीभगवानुवाच- पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते। न हि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद्‌दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति॥६- ४०॥ O son of Pritha, neither here in this world, nor in the next, is a sincere person defeated. Such a person, My dear friend, is never on the road of misfortune.

चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्‌दृढम्।
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ॥६- ३४॥

O Kesava, it is easier to control the wind than to try and control the fickle, unsettled, stubborn mind.

कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति।
अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मणः पथि॥६- ३८॥

O mighty armed one, is he not lost in his pursuit of transcendence like a wandering cloud with no solid footing in either of the worlds?

श्रीभगवानुवाच
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्।
छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥१५- १॥
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः।
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसंततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥१५- २॥
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा।
अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल-मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥१५- ३॥
ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः।
तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी॥१५- ४॥

The Lord said: They (or the wise) speak of the eternal Ashvattha tree having its origin above and its branches below (in the visible cosmos) whose leaves are hymns. One who understands this is a knower of the truth.

The branches (of this world tree of Maya) spread below and above (or all over the cosmos). The tree is nourished by the Gunas; sense pleasures are its sprouts; and its roots (of ego and desires) stretch below in the human world causing Karmic bondage.

Neither its (real) form nor its beginning, neither its end nor its existence is perceptible here on the earth. Having cut these firm roots of the Ashvattha tree by the mighty ax of detachment;

The goal (of nirvana) should be sought reaching which one does not come back; thus thinking: In that very primal spirit I take refuge from which this primal manifestation comes forth.

यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति|
तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च||२- ५२||

श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला|
समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि||२- ५३||

Translation:

When your mind is released from dense delusions, you shall realise how disgusting all that you have heard so far has been. When your mind is fixed and unmoved and not confused by scriptural injunctions you shall attain yogic samadhi.


तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः|
वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता||२- ६१||

In order to attain steady wisdom, you should restrain your senses and focus your entire mind and being on Me.

इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते|
तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि||२- ६७||

If the mind hankers after any sense objects, the wandering senses carry away one's intelligence, just as the wind blows away a ship at sea.

तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः|
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता||२- ६८||

Therefore, O Mighty Armed, one who's senses are detached from sense objects, is the one fixed on wisdom.


या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी|
यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः||२- ६९||

That which is dark for all sentient beings appears like bright daylight for those who's senses are controlled.

That which is dawn for sentient beings appears like the dark night for the introspective sage who sees.

एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति|
स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति||२- ७२||

O Partha, having attained such a divine state, one is not confused; if one is fixed in this pure consciousness even at the moment of death, one attains Brahman and all suffering ceases.

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः|
शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः||३- ८||

O Arjuna! Great is the man who can use his mind to control his senses and do his karma without attachment.

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः|
शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः||३- ८||

It is better to do your duty than to remain without doing anything. Action is important because we cannot maintain even our bodies without it.

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन|
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि||३- २२||

O Arjuna! Though there is no work I need to complete in all the three worlds, I still do My duties.

यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते|
निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा||६- १८||

A yogi who's mind is controlled and focused in yoga is like an un-flickering lamp in a windless place.

सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितः|
सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि स योगी मयि वर्तते||६- ३१||

For he who sees Me everywhere and sees all things in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.

मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय|
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव||७- ७||

O winner of wealth there is nothing superior to Me; everything rests on Me like pearls strung on a thread.

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये|
मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि||७- १२||

Know that all states of being, be it purity, passion, or ignorance, all ensue from Me alone.
But understand that I am not in them, they are in Me.

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना|
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन्||८- ८||

Therefore remember Me at all times and do your duty. With your mind and intellect fixed on Me, you shall become one with Me.


अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम्|
परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम्||९- ११||
मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः|
राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः||९- १२||
महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः|
भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम्||९- १३||

Trapped by illusions, they do not feel My transcendental existence as the living principle in all beings.

Their hopes are in vain, their knowledge is in vain. They are irrational, trusting the deceiving nature of fiends and demons.

Those souls who feel their divine nature, contemplate Me with steady minds knowing Me as the imperishable source of all beings.

पिताहमस्य जगतो माता धाता पितामहः|
वेद्यं पवित्रमोंकार ऋक्साम यजुरेव च||९- १७||

गतिर्भर्ता प्रभुः साक्षी निवासः शरणं सुहृत्|
प्रभवः प्रलयः स्थानं निधानं बीजमव्ययम्||९- १८||

I am the father of the universe, its mother, its nurturer, its grandfather; I am the goal, support, witness, abode, refuge, friend.