The Theory of Maya - 1

In order to comprehend the theory of Māyā, it is necessary to first understand its scope, expanse, manifestations and substratum (adhishthāna) on which it is perceived and experienced.

The scope or expanse of Māyā can only be understood by first questioning the nature of the Self.  The world is Māyic (illusory) in nature. It is also necessary to discern that the one who watches and experiences the world is also Māyic in nature.

Individual self (jiva) or arbitrator (pramāta) or discerner (jñāta) is the one who says that the world 'exists'. Jiva tries to comprehend the nature of the world. Jiva acts and reacts in the world. That this world is Māyic can be understood with logic and many facts. But it is imperative to understand that the discerner is also Māyic in nature. One may feel that the world is Māyic, and so is jiva (or self) who experiences it. If everything is Māyic, why bother about studying the theory of Māyā at all? The answer lies in the fact that everything we discussed so far is true on a theoretical level (ParokshaJñana). It is possible to be convinced about the fact that the world is Māyic merely with the help of words. But until we reach the level of Self-realization (AparokshaJñana) i.e. direct intuitive cognition that ‘I am Brahman’, it is necessary to repetitively read, hear and speak about the same principle. In Sanskrit there is a saying-

Tat Kathanam | Tat Vachanam | Tat Shravanam | (तत् कथनम् | तत् श्रवणम् | तत् वचनम् |) –

'Real studying involves reading, hearing and talking about the same topic over and over again.'

When we consistently study the theory of Māyā, it leads to the genuine conviction that ‘individual soul’ and surrounding ‘world’ are both Māyic in nature.

Once the fact that an ‘individual soul is Māyic’ is experienced, identification of the Self with body (deha-tādātmya) is eradicated. Involvement in people or objects in the world is automatically wiped out. The seeker gets liberated from the bondage that comes with the thought that 'I exist only if my body exists' and 'I will die when my body dies'. Later, ‘the world is Māyic' is also experienced, and it puts an end to the illusion that the world exists for real (jagat-satyatva bhrānti). The seeker then gets detached from unnecessary involvement in worldly things. Freedom from these two bondages is the main objective behind studying the principle of Māyā.

Now the real question lies here. When the existence of the body and the world is so directly, actually and obviously experienced on a daily basis, how to refute that existence? When a person sees, hears or speaks, he is actually indicating activities performed by his body, not by the person himself. The expression 'I speak' actually means that vāni (speech organ) speaks. Vāni is inanimate (jada) in nature, and jada cannot function without the help of some animate (chetan) entity. It is ‘jiva’ or ‘individual self’ that incites vāni to speak. The action of ‘speaking’ is conducted by speech organ with motive power from 'I' which means 'jiva' in this context.  Similarly the actions of ‘hearing’ and ‘watching’ are done by ‘ears’ and ‘eyes’ with impulsion from jiva. 

The word 'Māyā' has many different meanings; some of them are significant. They should be understood and studied in entirety. Māyā means 'perceived reality' or 'Asatya'. The eternal truth or ‘Satya’ is unalterable (aparivartaniya) in nature. In other words, that which changes or alters in form or essence, is 'Asatya' or 'Māyic' in nature.

The fact that physical body changes with time is obvious to one and all. The body in childhood changes in adolescence, youth and old-age respectively. Since our body and organs change in nature, they should be considered 'Asatya' or 'Māyic' as per the definition above. Hence it is inappropriate to identify the Self with body. This is not a pessimistic thought, in-fact it is a 'reality-check'. There is no pessimism in facing reality as-is. It rather takes care of ensuring that happiness in life isn't affected in any way or in any situation.

If 'my body' is accepted as 'Māyic', same rule applies to people associated to me. All daily activities too, are Māyic by the same logic. People routinely praise or criticize each other, and this invokes a chain of reactions. Once we accept everyone including ourselves as 'Māyic', that acceptance puts a leash on the chain of constant reactions. Speaker is Māyic, listener is Māyic and the spoken words are Māyic as well. These simple thoughts put a full-stop on agonies that come with criticism, and delights that come with appreciation. As Saint Tukārām says –

Kuni Nindā Kuni Vandā Āmuchā Swahitāchā Dhandā (कुणी निंदा कुणी वंदा आमुचा स्वहिताचा धंदा) –

‘Whether someone salutes or denounces, we stick to our path of Self-realization.’

In other words, we stay happy irrespective of any external factors around us.

Physical body and sense organs function by the driving force of 'jiva'. This 'jiva' too, is Māyic in nature. Waking, dreaming and deep-sleep (jāgruti, swapna and sushupti) are the 3 states of a jiva. If these states are evaluated against the definition of Māyic, it can be concluded that the three states are Māyic too. Hence, 'jiva' which stays in any one of these three states at a time is 'Māyic' as well.

The world, where we live, is volatile in nature. It was different in the past. Today we see it in its current form, and it will be vastly different in future. In other words, what we see today was not there in the past, and will not be there in future. The world was in a gaseous form in the beginning. Later it solidified. In future, it may take a liquidized form.  This confirms the fact that the world is changeable, impermanent and transient. 'Jiva' experiences the world with the help of five sense organs in a waking state (jāgruti). The universe, which we see is transient and hence 'Māyic'. The eyes with which we see, and jiva which incites those eyes, are both Māyic as well. Hence every activity and all experiences in the waking state are 'Māyic' in nature. We face many dualities such as action-reaction, gain-loss, success-failure, victory-loss, appreciation-criticism in the waking state. But when we are genuinely convinced that the waking state itself is 'mithyā' (illusory), it leads us to a state of perfect, thoughtful balance as portrayed in Bhagvad-Gitā – Sukhduhkhe same krutvā labhalabhau jayajayau (सुखदुःखे समे कृत्त्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ). All our saints experienced this balanced state of mind irrespective of adverse or favorable events in their lives.

The state of dream (swapna) is 'mithyā' (neither real nor unreal) as well, and it is fairly easy to comprehend that. All experiences in dreams are dissolved after waking up. Only the subtle mental impressions (sanskārās) are left behind. Occasionally, the dreams come true, but that too happens in the waking state. If waking state itself is determined to be 'Māyic', the realization of those dreams is 'Māyic' as well.

In the state of deep-sleep (sushupti), the mind (manas) is dissolved in complete ignorance (ajñana). Ajñana is the 'lack of jñana' i.e. the state of not knowing our true nature. Ajñana is adhyasta (falsely cognized) on jñana just like a snake is falsely cognized on a rope in partial darkness. Everything that is adhyasta is Asatya or Māyic in nature. Hence, the state of deep-sleep is Māyic as well.  

To be continued...