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Maya: Illusion
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Under the influence of the three gunas, the soul is (1)

Concepts

misled by matter, and (2) subsequently entangled and

Key Concepts
Introduction
Atman: The Self
Reincarnation and Samsara
Karma
Prakriti: Matter
Maya: Illusion
Moksha: Liberation
God: Perceived in Three
Ways
God: Two Main
Understandings
Sanatana Dharma
Varnashrama Dharma
One Goal, Different Paths

entrapped. This tendency is termed maya (illusion).

Under maya's influence, the atman, (the soul)
mistakenly identifies with the body. He accepts such
thoughts as "I am white and I am a man," or "This is
my house, my country, and my religion." Thus the
illusioned soul identifies with the temporary body and
everything connected to it, such as race, gender,
family, nation, bank balance, and sectarian religion.
Under this sense of false-ego (false-identity) the soul
aspires to control and enjoy matter. However, in so

(i.e. illusion).
It refers to accepting the temporary
as having lasting value, and
looking for enduring happiness in
this world.
Through cultivating the quality of
goodness the soul may rise to
transcendence and escape the
clutches of maya.

frustration he often redoubles his efforts and,

compounding mistake upon mistake, only falls deeper
into illusion.
In ignorance (tamas), he is fully convinced that right is

Kala: Time

wrong and wrong is right. In passion he is unsure,

Creation

hesitant, sometimes enjoying and at others times

repenting. Only in goodness does the soul begin to

Practice

develop wisdom to see things in the real light. Thus

Lifestyle

enlightenment means moving away from tamas

Tradition

towards sattva. By so doing, the soul gradually

Extras

Maya means "that which is not"

doing he continuously serves lust, greed, and anger. In

Scripture and Guru

Core Values

Key Points

escapes the clutches of maya and moves towards

liberation.

Quote
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust.
Enjoyed no sooner but despised straight,
Past reason hunted, and no sooner had,
Past reason hated as a swallowed bait
On purpose laid to make the taker mad:
Mad in pursuit, and in possession so,
Had, having and in quest to have, extreme,
A bliss in proof and proved, a very woe,
Before, a joy proposed, behind, a dream.
William Shakespeare Sonnet 129 (on lust)

Useful Analogy
Pursuing a mirage in the desert
If one pursues a mirage of an oasis in the desert, one will not find water but will be misled.
Similarly, this world provides no real happiness, which exists only as an elusive dream.

The mirage indicates the presence of a real oasis, of real water. Similarly, our desire for
happiness, though frustrated, implies that real pleasure does indeed exist.

Useful Example
Mistaking a rope for a snake
Maya literally means "that which is not." In the twilight, one may easily mistake a rope for a
snake. In so doing, we feel fear. Hence fear and other emotions may often be based on
illusion, an incorrect perception of reality.

Related Stories
The Yogi's Cloth (STO-109)
About the entanglement of material life.

The Guru Embracing the Tree (STO-110)

Describing the nature of Maya.

Scriptural Passages
"On the basis of this misconception which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one
becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one
increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of 'I and mine.""
Bhagavat Purana 5.5.8

"If one clings to his attachments, refusing to let go, sorrows will not let go their grip on him."
Tirukkural 35.347348

See also: Bhagavad-gita 2.60 63; 16.3 18, 21.

Related Proverbs/Sayings
"All that glitters is not gold."
Being "Led up the garden path"
"A wild-goose chase"
"Failure is the pillar of success"
"The grass is always greener"

Related Practices
All forms of enlightenment, particularly methods of
controlling the mind and senses, so as to avoid being
misled. Different paths involve the regulation of material
activities, developing wisdom, performing austerities and
serving God, instead of trying to enjoy and control the world.
Some traditions suggest retirement from materialistic society
to avoid the temptations it offers. Accepting good counsel
(e.g. from a guru) is usually considered essential. Perhaps most important is the role of
education in training children so they can suitably respond to life, its opportunities and its
allurements.

Related Values and Issues

Becoming a responsible citizen seeing the consequences of our actions. Learning from
our mistakes.
Avoiding immediate gratification with its possibly dangerous consequences (sex, drugs, etc.)
Consumerism/advertising.
Greed/compulsive shopping.
Seeking guidance from others.
Learning how to say "no."

Personal Reflection
Our own experience of being illusioned perhaps when a plan that promised happiness
turned sour.
What emotions tend to sweep us into difficult situations?
Have we ever rectified one mistake with another?

Common Misunderstandings
Hindu responses to good and evil ...
Though these concepts exist in Hinduism, more commonly discussed are the tensions between
"knowledge" and "ignorance." Ignorance is usually considered a matter of personal choice, and
some scholars note the term's connection with the verb "to ignore."
It is wrong to think that Hinduism uses exactly the same conceptual models as other religious
traditions.

Hindus consider the world to be false, an illusion.

Some schools do. Others consider it real, but illusory in so much as it is temporary.

Hinduism is world denying.

Although Hinduism tends to be ultimately "world renouncing," it places much emphasis on
accepting our temporal needs and meeting them in a dignified fashion, rather than denying
them.
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"Heart of Hinduism" is Copyright: ISKCON Educational Services, 2004