As part of Sw. Swatmananda ji’s annual Devi Group Class Visits, this year due to the Covid situation, Swami ji addressed classes held by Sevikas Smt. Anjali Dalal, Smt. Aditi Agarwalla and Smt. Bina Kejriwal via zoom on 9th July. Swami ji addressed the 49 attendees on Maya.
Maya is a power of Brahman which projects the Universe without undergoing any change. It is not an independent power. Maya is the veil that covers our real nature and projects the illusion of jagat through avidya/ignorance. It ceases to exist on gaining knowledge that Brahman is the real truth.
Maya makes something which is not, appear to be. The example of the dreamer and the waker best explains this. The entire dream world is created in the mind of the waker while the waker is unaffected by the dream world and its characters. However, once thenwaker wakes up, the dream world along with its joys and sorrows, ceases to exist. Similarly, the world appears real due to ignorance but once we gain knowledge and understanding and wake up to the Truth, Maya ceases to exist or to bind us. Maya flourishes in ignorance.
Maya has 2 powers - avarana or veiling power which veils the truth of Brahman and vikshep or the projecting power and has 3 qualities - Sattva (knowledge and inquiry), Rajas (activity) and Tamas (inertia). The veiling power – avidya, of Maya is tamas, the projecting power or vikshep is rajas and Sattva aspect is that which helps the Jiva to surrender and realise his true nature as Brahman and not as the individual BMI. These 3 qualities of Maya cannot be physically seen but can be inferred from the effects in creation.
Swami ji mentioned that for any created object there are 3 causes, the material, efficient and intelligent cause. In the universe, the material cause are the 5 elements (which have come from Maya which is the power of Brahman), the efficient and intelligent cause is Ishwara. When all 3, material, efficient and intelligent causes are the same – Brahman, the effect or the projection is an illusion. In the case of the waker and dreamer – the material, efficient and intelligent causes are the waker’s mind, thus the dream is an illusion. The changeless Brahman becomes Ishwara and creates the world, therefore the world is an illusion.
Swami ji explained Maya from 3 standpoints. From the Absolute standpoint there is no world, Maya does not exist. From the Relative standpoint, where the world is real, Maya exists. And from Maya’s standpoint, it is inexplicable without reference to the Absolute and Relative standpoints.
When veiling power is destroyed by knowledge, the superimposition becomes apparent and Brahman as the substratum is clearly understood as my true nature.
The root cause of one's sorrow being avidya, one must increase Sattva guna which will lead us to Satsang and knowledge, give us the ability to surrender and then take us to liberation. For the reduction of Rajas one must do action with the karma yoga bhavana and lots of seva. For tamas do tapas, set goals and also set punishments when there is any compromise. When the mind is thus purified and made singe pointed, such a mind can go beyond sattva in the state of meditation.
To achieve all this one should feel the sense of bondage, of pain of finitude- this is the first step towards freedom. Unless I feel so, I will not understand Maya. Then alone will mumukshutvam arise and one will want to work towards Jivanmukti.
