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KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 1
Maya, a Sanskrit word, is a magic power, through which God makes human beings believe what turns out to be an illusion. As per the Veda and Upanishads, the nature of any human being consists of three gunas (qualities) - sattva, rajas and tamas. Sattva guna means goodness, whereas rajas guna means passion and tamas guna means ignorance.
These three gunas are influenced by how we utilise the information provided by our five senses. If we keep ignoring the knowledge hidden inside each piece of information provided by the senses, then we are living a life as per the quality of the tamas guna. Similarly, if we become passionate about the information provided by the senses, and work for it, then we are living life as rajas guna.
When we see only goodness in every action and realise the truth about it, then we are living life as sattva guna.
So if our own five senses are not controlled, then we become part of Maya. Everything that we see in the world is part of Maya. According to Advaita (no dualist), everything and everyone is part of Maya. It is Maya because of which we enjoy and suffer in life. We enjoy life whenever we gain anything and also suffer in life when we lose it. We all are chasing life with different desires to sometimes feel happy and at other times to be sad. The concept of I or me, which is limited to the body and mind, is the core grip of Maya.
One cannot rise above Maya till one is controlled by the urges of the five senses. When one is able to control the urges from the senses then one rises above body and mind to realise the truth. The truth is that our own thoughts and emotions are creating everything that is happening in our own lives.
Usually, due to the effects of Maya, one cannot rise above one's desires. Maya makes one happy and sad in life. When one loses something valuable then one feels sad and creates sad emotions. Most of the time, most people will keep that sad emotion within and can't let it go. What is inside is what creates more outside for one to feel it over and over. Releasing all those feelings and emotions that make one sad is a stepping stone to infinite happiness.
Usually, our past Karma is associated with our thoughts.
Maya then creates different thoughts in one to go through it.
It all starts with a thought at the beginning, and later it manifests into reality when energised with strong feelings and emotions.
It is Maya what makes things happen in life as per their own Karma. So doing good and being good is what one should practise in life. One should do good to feel good from the inside to live a good life.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 2, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
