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Illusion works impenetrable,
Weaving webs innumerable,
Her gay pictures never fail,
Crowds each other, veil on veil,
Charmer who will be believed,
By man who thirsts to be deceived.
excerpted from "Maya" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
The following from "Understanding the Nature Of Illusion" by Sharon Janis
[QUOTE]
...there is a common Sanskrit word, maya, which is commonly translated as illusion. Some, who have not grasped the deeper meaning of the original word maya, might read about its play, adding all the connotations modern society has placed around the word illusion. We don't have an English word that can accurately portray what the sages meant by the word maya, though one who has awakened to a vision of life beyond maya for even a moment will be better prepared to grasp the intended meaning of this word.
Some say that thinking of this world as an illusion is irresponsible, and will only bring suffering and lack of interest. However, one who truly sees the world as maya, will laugh and dance through life. My teacher once described this world as a two-day picnic that you go to on a holiday. When the veil of maya is rent, you begin to see that you are an eternal being, travelling through countless fields of existence at once. All the thoughts, colors and memories we know are the handiwork of that eternal being, the hub of this wheel of life. It's like the experience of awakening from a dream where you are running for your life from a gang of criminals. Upon awakening, you realize that it was all maya, illusion. The criminals did not exist, nor were they chasing you.
Nevertheless, being an illusion does not make it unreal. This is where a subtle distinction comes in regarding the nature of maya versus illusion. Illusion is generally used to refer to something that doesn't exist. Maya, on the other hand, is existent and non-existent at the same time, like a dream. The experience you had while running for life was absolutely real while the dream was occurring; therefore, the maya of this dream cannot be called non-existent. Yet, through the sobriety of wakefulness, one can see that the dream was an illusion, a false world. The only problem is that there is no objective experiment we can run to prove that the waking state we are in right now is any more real than last night's dream, which also felt completely real.
There once lived a powerful King named Janaka. One night, he dreamt that he was a beggar, being persecuted by a group of villagers. They had tumbled him onto the ground, and were beating him with their fists, throwing stones and clods of dirt at him. All of a sudden, he awoke.
There he was, King Janaka, swathed in silk and jewels, being fanned by servants in his luxurious castle. Shocked by the contrast, he closed his eyes, and fell immediately back into the dream, where the villagers were still beating him, as he cowered on the ground in fear for his life. Once again, he awoke, finding himself back in the lap of luxury. This happened twice more. Janaka was fascinated and intrigued by the experience. Both states felt equally real when he was in them. How could he know which one was true and which was maya, illusion? Was he the beggar or the king?
Back in the waking state, King Janaka called in all of his wise Prime ministers and advisors, and asked them which state was real. None was able to answer the question to his satisfaction. The king expressed his displeasure by sending all of these so-called wise men away to be locked up indefinitely. In the meantime, a young son of a sage stepped into the courtyard. He was crippled, and made quite a spectacle of himself as he hobbled down the aisle to the throne. Many of the townsfolk had gathered, and were laughing at this ridiculous figure. The boy knelt down before the king, and with great effort stood back up. "Your majesty. I have come to answer your question." Now the bystanders really began to whisper and chuckle. This kid was asking for trouble.
But the king saw a light around the boy's face, and was guided by deep intuition to allow him to say his piece, even though it seemed unlikely that this boy would ever be able to answer the question. "Fine," said the King. "Tell me which state is real, the waking state or the dream state?"
The young boy smiled softly through his disfigured body, and replied. "O King. Neither the waking state nor the dream state are real. Only the Self is real, the Self that is beyond all maya."
Some say that thinking of this world as an illusion is irresponsible, and will only bring suffering and lack of interest. However, one who truly sees the world as maya, will laugh and dance through life. My teacher once described this world as a two-day picnic that you go to on a holiday. When the veil of maya is rent, you begin to see that you are an eternal being, travelling through countless fields of existence at once. All the thoughts, colors and memories we know are the handiwork of that eternal being, the hub of this wheel of life. It's like the experience of awakening from a dream where you are running for your life from a gang of criminals. Upon awakening, you realize that it was all maya, illusion. The criminals did not exist, nor were they chasing you.
Nevertheless, being an illusion does not make it unreal. This is where a subtle distinction comes in regarding the nature of maya versus illusion. Illusion is generally used to refer to something that doesn't exist. Maya, on the other hand, is existent and non-existent at the same time, like a dream. The experience you had while running for life was absolutely real while the dream was occurring; therefore, the maya of this dream cannot be called non-existent. Yet, through the sobriety of wakefulness, one can see that the dream was an illusion, a false world. The only problem is that there is no objective experiment we can run to prove that the waking state we are in right now is any more real than last night's dream, which also felt completely real.
There once lived a powerful King named Janaka. One night, he dreamt that he was a beggar, being persecuted by a group of villagers. They had tumbled him onto the ground, and were beating him with their fists, throwing stones and clods of dirt at him. All of a sudden, he awoke.
There he was, King Janaka, swathed in silk and jewels, being fanned by servants in his luxurious castle. Shocked by the contrast, he closed his eyes, and fell immediately back into the dream, where the villagers were still beating him, as he cowered on the ground in fear for his life. Once again, he awoke, finding himself back in the lap of luxury. This happened twice more. Janaka was fascinated and intrigued by the experience. Both states felt equally real when he was in them. How could he know which one was true and which was maya, illusion? Was he the beggar or the king?
Back in the waking state, King Janaka called in all of his wise Prime ministers and advisors, and asked them which state was real. None was able to answer the question to his satisfaction. The king expressed his displeasure by sending all of these so-called wise men away to be locked up indefinitely. In the meantime, a young son of a sage stepped into the courtyard. He was crippled, and made quite a spectacle of himself as he hobbled down the aisle to the throne. Many of the townsfolk had gathered, and were laughing at this ridiculous figure. The boy knelt down before the king, and with great effort stood back up. "Your majesty. I have come to answer your question." Now the bystanders really began to whisper and chuckle. This kid was asking for trouble.
But the king saw a light around the boy's face, and was guided by deep intuition to allow him to say his piece, even though it seemed unlikely that this boy would ever be able to answer the question. "Fine," said the King. "Tell me which state is real, the waking state or the dream state?"
The young boy smiled softly through his disfigured body, and replied. "O King. Neither the waking state nor the dream state are real. Only the Self is real, the Self that is beyond all maya."
[END QUOTE]
Wake up, O man, at least now, wake up. Consider this whole creation as a mere dream. This world is like a flower in bloom; as you watch it, it wilts right before your eyes. Why are you so attached to it?
— Brahmananda
7 Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you; 8 For whoever asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks,the door will be opened. -- Matthew 7:7 New Testament, Lamsa Edition (Aramaic Bible) http://www.lamsabible.com/Lamsa%20Bible%20New%20Testament.htm
No matter what you read or where you read it (including here), ultimately, you must always follow your own Heart. Never Stop your Individual Search For the Truth. If you seek with Sincerity, Diligence and Purity of Spirit...well, refer again to Matthew 7:7 above.
All Love,
~ G
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