What Maya Means in Spirituality?

What we see is not truly as it appears, and what is in reality cannot be shown as it truly is. The ultimate truth is the Supreme Being (Paramatma), while the illusion that clouds our perception is Maya. To understand Maya, you must first comprehend who you are because it is you who creates this illusion. The world you perceive through your eyes, hear with your ears, and feel with your senses is the world you experience. But is this world the ultimate reality? If you believe so, it means you are limited to your senses.

The truth of this world cannot be fully grasped through sensory perception. When you attempt to understand the world through your senses alone, your knowledge remains incomplete. In spiritual terms, this incomplete understanding is referred to as ignorance.

What Maya Means in Spirituality

The Nature of maya (Illusion)

To grasp this concept, consider the example of a magician. You know that a magician doesn’t possess actual magical powers; they are an ordinary person like anyone else. However, when performing, the magician creates an illusion that appears to defy logic. By revealing only part of the truth and carefully concealing the rest, the magician manipulates your perception and makes you believe in what seems like magic. The magician exploits your ignorance to create this illusion.

Maya operates in a similar manner, but with one key difference. In the case of magic, the magician and the audience are two separate entities. However, with Maya, the creator of the illusion and the one being deceived are the same person—you.

The Illusion of Duality

When a person perceives the world through their senses, they often believe that this perception is the ultimate truth. This belief gives rise to duality, where the observer feels separate from the observed world. For example, you think, “I am this,” “This is my cat,” “That is the sun,” or “This is the river.” These distinctions create the illusion that the world is divided into many separate entities.

This division of oneness into multiplicity is the essence of Maya. You may wonder whether all these things that seem distinct are ultimately one. The answer depends on your perspective. When you perceive the world through your senses, it appears fragmented and diverse. However, when you look beyond the senses, you see the unity behind the diversity.

The Limitations of Sensory Perception

Our senses are designed to perceive the illusion of Maya. They cannot grasp the ultimate reality. The Supreme Being cannot be understood through sensory perception because it transcends the mind and senses. Instead, the senses themselves are illuminated by the Supreme Being. What we perceive through our senses is not the absolute truth. Rather, the experiencer of the world—the consciousness behind perception—is the ultimate reality.

Consciousness and Reality

To understand this deeper truth, you must turn inward. You experience the world because you are conscious. When you are awake, the world seems real and tangible. However, when you are unconscious—such as in deep sleep—the world disappears. Where does the world go, and where does the experiencer go during such moments?

The answer lies in understanding that the world continues to exist, and the experiencer remains present. However, the connection between the two is temporarily severed. Similarly, in a state of deep meditation (Samadhi), the experience of the external world dissolves, and the meditator becomes fully aware of the inner Self. In this state, it becomes clear that the mind, senses, and the perceived world are mere constructs.

What Maya Means in Spirituality

Realization and Liberation

When a person achieves self-realization, they perceive the world in a completely different way. Ordinary people see themselves as individuals living in a world of separation and duality. However, an enlightened person recognizes that the world is an illusion, and the true essence of existence lies in unity with the Self and the Supreme Being.

Through sincere meditation and spiritual practice, one can transcend the illusions of the senses and the mind. In this heightened state of awareness, the ego and sense of separation dissolve, revealing the non-dual reality. The Supreme Being is the foundation of all existence, and when one realizes this truth, the ignorance created by Maya fades away.

The Paradox of Maya

It is essential to understand that Maya is neither entirely false nor entirely true. It is an illusion (Mithya) that exists as an experience but not as the ultimate reality. While Maya appears real to the mind and senses, it is ultimately rooted in the Supreme Being, which is beyond comprehension and can only be experienced through direct realization.

For those who have attained liberation, the world of Maya no longer holds power. While they continue to interact with the world, they do so with the understanding that it is an illusion. They see themselves as free from the limitations of Maya, fully established in the ultimate truth.


Conclusion

Maya is the illusion of separation that you have created through your mind and senses. When you believe in this illusion, you remain trapped in ignorance. However, through self-realization, you can transcend Maya and understand that the ultimate reality is non-dual. The Supreme Being is the eternal truth, and realizing this truth leads to liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

By knowing the Self, you come to know the Supreme Being. And by knowing the Supreme Being, the illusion of Maya dissolves, revealing the oneness that lies at the heart of all existence.


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