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Maya

vsgrewal48895

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Mar 12, 2009
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MAYA

ABSTRACT


ਮਾਇਆ ਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਬਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਬਿਮੋਹਿਤ ਬਿਰਲਾ ਬੂਝੈ ਕੋਈ ॥​

Mā¬i¬ā cẖiṯar bacẖiṯar bimohiṯ birlā būjẖai ko¬ī.​

The marvelous image of Maya is so fascinating; how few understand this?
Namdev, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 485-2​

ਇਸੁ ਜਰ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਘਣੀ ਵਿਗੁਤੀ ਇਨਿ ਜਰ ਘਣੀ ਖੁਆਈ ॥ ਪਾਪਾ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਮੁਇਆ ਸਾਥਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਆਪਿ ਖੁਆਏ ਕਰਤਾ ਖੁਸਿ ਲਏ ਚੰਗਿਆਈ ॥

Is jar kāraṇ gẖaṇī viguṯī in jar gẖaṇī kẖu­ā­ī. Pāpā bājẖahu hovai nāhī mu¬i¬ā sāth na jā¬ī. Jis no āp kẖu¬ā¬ė karṯā kẖus la¬ė cẖangi¬ā¬ī.

For the sake of this wealth, so many were ruined; because of this wealth, so many have been disgraced. Wealth with out evil-doing it comes not and in death it accompanies not. Those, whom the Creator Akal Purkh Itself cast off - first It strips them of their goodness.-----Guru Nanak, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 417-17 & 18

Maya creates bondage and attachment to material things in life, including personal temporary relationships, which in a spiritual sense is caused by emotions.

ਹੇ ਅਜਿਤ ਸੂਰ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਾਮੰ ਅਤਿ ਬਲਨਾ ਬਹੁ ਮਰਦਨਹ ॥ ਗਣ ਗੰਧਰਬ ਦੇਵ ਮਾਨੁਖ੍ਯ੍ਯੰ ਪਸੁ ਪੰਖੀ ਬਿਮੋਹਨਹ ॥

Hay Ajit Soor Sangraamn Ut Balnaa Boh Mariner, Gan GanDharab Dayv Maanukh-yaN Pasu Pankhee Bimohneh.

O emotional attachment, you are the invincible warrior of the battlefield of life; you totally crush and destroy even the most powerful. You entice and fascinate even the heavenly heralds, celestial singers, gods, mortals, beasts and birds. ------ Guru Arjan, Sahskriti Slokes, AGGS, Page, 1358-2

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Maya (ਮਾਇਆ) as defined by Mahan Kosh includes the world and its entanglements. (1) ਭੁਲੇਖਾ, ਭ੍ਰਮ, ਅਵਿਦਿਆ, ਅਗਿਆਨਤਾ (2) ਧਨ, ਦੌਲਤ (3) ਮਾਤਾ (4) ਹੇ ਮਾਂ ! ਹੇ ਮਾਤਾ (5) ਭਲਾਉਣ/ਭਰਮ ਉਪਜਾਉਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਸ਼ਕਤੀ (6) ਸਰੀਰਕ ਭਾਵ ਦੁਨਿਆਵੀ or starch, farina; goddess of wealth, Lakshmi; wealth, riches, money, mammon,; illusionary or illusory world of senses, material world; illusion, illusory phenomena. Guru Arjan ponders in Raag Suhi;

ਭਰਮ ਲੋਭ ਮੋਹ ਮਾਇਆ ਵਿਕਾਰ ॥ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਛੂਟੇ ਤੇ ਏਕੰਕਾਰ ॥

Bharam Lobh Moh Maya Vikaar, Bharam Chhootay Tay Aikankaar.

Doubt, greed, emotional attachment, immoral acts come from Maya. Freed from illusion one realizes the One Akal Purkh. -----Guru Arjan, Raag Suhi, AGGS, Page, 736-14

There are three qualities of Maya that are interconnected, interrelated and interdependent with the three vital forces of the body. These are sativa, rajas and tamas. Sativa includes equilibrium, goodness, truth, compassion, stillness and peace, Rajas includes thinking, planning and taking decisions. Tamas includes greed, anger, jealousy, and laziness.

Materialism is wealth seeking and a materialistic (ਸਾਕਤ ) prefers extravagance, is superficial, believes the bigger the pay check the more important the person, competitive, selfish, preoccupied with money, believes they deserve to have whatever they want (sense of entitlement), seeks status and power relative to peers, believes there is nothing wrong with marrying partly for money, disdains financial insecurity, avoids losing status and control, looking good is more important than comfort, believes in success through appearances, second place is not good enough, manipulative, has a need for applause, not generous, loves to win awards, does things primarily for own benefit, gets angry when they don't get when they want, used to getting their way, prefers instant gratification.

Materialism is the general theory that the ultimate constituents of reality are material or physical bodies, elements or processes. It is a form of monism in that it holds that everything in existence is reducible to what is material or physical in nature. It is opposed to dualistic theories which claim that body and mind are distinct, and directly antithetical to a philosophical idealism that denies the existence of matter. It is hostile to abstract objects, if these are viewed as more than just a manner of speaking. An implication of materialism is that the diverse qualitative experiences we have are ultimately reducible to quantitative changes in objects or in our physiological functioning. All the properties of things, including persons, are reducible to properties of matter. The stones/matter is not inert and is alive by human definition. These contain a lyrical sound singing praises of Akal Purkh with embodied energy and lifting the veil between this world and the Divine world on the other side.

Although the terms referring to psychic states such as intention, belief, desire and consciousness itself have a different sense and use than terms referring to material events, a consistent materialist would deny that mentalist terms have reference to anything other than physical events or physiological changes in our brains. The enormous advances in the sciences have contributed storehouses of empirical data that are often used to support materialism. Many philosophers have been attracted to materialism both because of its reductive simplicity and its association with scientific knowledge.

The lower instincts are necessary for progeny but indulgence in them causes spiritual decline or obstructs spiritual growth and lowers the span of life. Love/lust both leads to attachment due to human sensual emotions leading to momentary pleasure or long lasting happiness in a material sense. There is difference between pleasure and happiness so is there between lust and love. Love is long lasting bliss/happiness creating bondage and attachment, while lust and pleasure are for that moment in life. This universal and apparently inconsistent emotion seems almost incapable of definition. Guru Arjan refers to three qualities of Maya in Raag Asa created by God;

ਤ੍ਰੈ ਗੁਣ ਮਾਇਆ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਕੀ ਕੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਕਹਹੁ ਕਵਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਤਰੀਐ ਰੇ॥ਘੂਮਨ ਘੇਰ ਅਗਾਹ ਗਾਖਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੀ ਪਾਰਿ ਉਤਰੀਐ ਰੇ ॥
Thrai Gun Maya Braham Kee Keenee Khohu Kavan Bidh Tareeai Ray, Ghooman Ghayr Agaah Gaakhree Gur Sabdee Paar Utree-ai Ray.

God has created Maya of three qualities; tell me how it can be crossed over? The whirlpool is awesome and unfathomable; only through the Word of the Guru's Sabd is one carried across. -----Guru Arjan, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 404-3

ਦੋਸੁ ਨਹੀ ਕਾਹੂ ਕਉ ਮੀਤਾ ॥ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹ ਬੰਧੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਕੀਤਾ ॥

Dos Nahee Kaahoo Ka-o Meetaa, Maya Moh Bandh Prabh Keetta.

No one is at fault, my friend. God created the bondage of emotional attachment to Maya.-----Guru Arjan, Raag Gauri, AGGS, Page, 257-11

ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਮੇਰੈ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਕੀਨਾ ਆਪੇ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਏ ॥ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਇਸੁ ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਕਰਮਿ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਏ ॥

Maya Mohu Mayrai Prabh Keena Aapay Bharam Bhulaa-ay, Gurbaanee Is Jag Meh Chaanan Karam Vasai Man Aa-ay.

Emotional attachment to Maya is created by God; and misleads us through illusion and doubt. Gurbani is the Light to illuminate this world; by Its Grace, it comes to abide within the mind. -----Guru Amardas, Siri Raag, AGGS, Page, 67-9

Guru Arjan further describes that Akal Purkh is the only One free of bondage/attachment;

ਮੁਕੰਦ ਮਨੋਹਰ ਲਖਮੀ ਨਾਰਾਇਣ ॥ਦ੍ਰੋਪਤੀ ਲਜਾ ਨਿਵਾਰਿ ਉਧਾਰਣ ॥ ਕਮਲਾਕੰਤ ਕਰਹਿ ਕੰਤੂਹਲ ਅਨਦ ਬਿਨੋਦੀ ਨਿਹਸੰਗਾ ॥

Mukanḏ manohar lakẖmī nārā▫iṇ.Ḏaropaṯī lajā nivār uḏẖāraṇ. Kamlakant Kareh Kantoohal Anad Binodee Nehsangaa.

Liberator, Enticing God of Lakshmi, Savior of Dropadi's honor, andCreator of Maya, miracle-worker, absorbed in delightful play is unattached. -----Guru Arjan, Raag Maru, AGGS, Page, 1082-12

None escapes its clutches, even the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva were enticed and bound by three modes of Maya and were far away from salvation. Guru Amardas describes it in the following hymn;

ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਮਹੇਸੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੀ ॥ਤ੍ਰੈ ਗੁਣ ਬਧਕ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨਿਰਾਰੀ ॥

Barahmaa Bisan Mahays Veechaaree, Tarai Gun BaDhak Mukat Niraaree.

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, engaged in contemplation are bound by the three qualities and far away from liberation. -----Guru Amardas, Raag Maru, AGGS, Page, 1049-19

ਮਨਮੁਖੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਵਿਆਪਿਆ ਬੈਰਾਗੁ ਉਦਾਸੀ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਚੀਨੈ ਸਦਾ ਦੁਖੁ ਹਰਿ ਦਰਗਹਿ ਪਤਿ ਖੋਇ ॥ ਹਉਮੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਖੋਈਐ ਨਾਮਿ ਰਤੇ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥

Manmukh Moh Viapia Bairag Udasee Na Hoay, Sabd Na Cheenai Sadaa Dukh Har Dargahi Pat Kho-ay, Ha-umai Gurmukh Kho-ee-ai Naam Ratay Sukh Ho-ay.

The self-willed person is engrossed in the love of worldly pleasures and falsehood, he cannot practice love for Truth. They do not comprehend the Word of the Sabd. They suffer in pain forever, and lose their honor in the Court of the Akal Purkh. The Guru willed rid them of worldly love of passion through the service of the Guru and enjoy bliss of God’s love. -----Guru Amardas, Siri Raag, AGGS, Page, 29-10

ਦੇਖਿ ਕੁਟੰਬੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਲੋਭਾਣਾ ਚਲਦਿਆ ਨਾਲਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ॥ਸਤਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵਿ ਗੁਣਨਿਧਾਨੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਤਿਸ ਦੀ ਕੀਮ ਨ ਪਾਈ॥

Daekh Kuttunb Moh Lobhana Chaldiaa Naal Na Jaaee, Satgur Sayv Gun NiDhaan Paa-i-aa Tis Dee Keem Na Paa-ee.

Gazing upon their families, people are lured and trapped by emotional attachment, but none will go along with them in the end. Serving the True Guru, one finds the Akal Purkh, the Treasure of Excellence. Its Value cannot be estimated. -----Guru Amardas, Siri Raag, AGGS, Page, 32-8

In Sikh Thought we are looking for the Love of True Naam and all other kind of love is false (ਕੂੜ). The Will of the Akal Purkh gives the love of True Naam when one is blessed with Its Grace.

Conclusion:

As spiritual awakening begins, motivations inevitably shift from the egocentric materialism toward the desire to serve others. This kind of service is seen as absolutely necessary if the awakening and development are to continue; spiritual growth requires a life of service.

Guru Arjan in Raag Asa describes the attributes of Maya;

ਮਤਾ ਕਰਉ ਸੋ ਪਕਨਿ ਨ ਦੇਈ ॥ਸੀਲ ਸੰਜਮ ਕੈ ਨਿਕਟਿ ਖਲੋਈ ॥ਵੇਸ ਕਰੇ ਬਹੁ ਰੂਪ ਦਿਖਾਵੈ ॥ਗ੍ਰਿਹਿ ਬਸਨਿ ਨ ਦੇਈ ਵਖਿ ਵਖਿ ਭਰਮਾਵੈ ॥ਘਰ ਕੀ ਨਾਇਕਿ ਘਰ ਵਾਸੁ ਨ ਦੇਵੈ ॥ਜਤਨ ਕਰਉ ਉਰਝਾਇ ਪਰੇਵੈ ॥ਧੁਰ ਕੀ ਭੇਜੀ ਆਈ ਆਮਰਿ ॥ਨਉ ਖੰਡ ਜੀਤੇ ਸਭਿ ਥਾਨ ਥਨੰਤਰ ॥ਤਟਿ ਤੀਰਥਿ ਨ ਛੋਡੈ ਜੋਗ ਸੰਨਿਆਸ ॥ਪੜਿ ਥਾਕੇ ਸਿੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਬੇਦ ਅਭਿਆਸ ॥ਜਹ ਬੈਸਉ ਤਹ ਨਾਲੇ ਬੈਸੈ ॥ਸਗਲ ਭਵਨ ਮਹਿ ਸਬਲ ਪ੍ਰਵੇਸੈ ॥ਹੋਛੀ ਸਰਣਿ ਪਇਆ ਰਹਣੁ ਨ ਪਾਈ ॥ਕਹੁ ਮੀਤਾ ਹਉ ਕੈ ਪਹਿ ਜਾਈ ॥ਸੁਣਿ ਉਪਦੇਸੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪਹਿ ਆਇਆ ॥ਗੁਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇਆ ॥ਨਿਜ ਘਰਿ ਵਸਿਆ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ਅਨੰਤਾ ॥ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਮਿਲਿਓ ਨਾਨਕ ਭਏ ਅਚਿੰਤਾ ॥ਘਰੁ ਮੇਰਾ ਇਹ ਨਾਇਕਿ ਹਮਾਰੀ ॥ਇਹ ਆਮਰਿ ਹਮ ਗੁਰਿ ਕੀਏ ਦਰਬਾਰੀ ॥

Maṯā kara¬o so pakan na ḏė¬ī, Sīl sanjam kai nikat kẖalo¬ī, vės karė baho rūp ḏikẖāvai, Garihi basan na ḏė¬ī vakẖ vakẖ bẖarmāvai, Gẖar kī nā¬ik gẖar vās na ḏėvai, Jaṯan kara¬o urjẖā¬ė parėvai, Ḏẖur kī bẖėjī ā¬ī āmar, Na¬o kẖand jīṯė sabẖ thān thananṯar, Ŧat ṯirath na cẖẖodai jog sanni¬ās, Paṛ thākė simriṯ bėḏ abẖi¬ās, Jah baisa¬o ṯah nālė baisai, Sagal bẖavan meh sabal parvėsai, Hocẖẖī saraṇ pa¬i¬ā rahaṇ na pā¬ī, Kaho mīṯā ha¬o kai peh jā¬ī, Suṇ upḏės saṯgur peh ā¬i¬ā, Gur har har nām mohi manṯar driṛ¬ā¬i¬ā, Nij gẖar vasi¬ā guṇ gā¬ė ananṯā, Parabẖ mili¬o Nānak bẖa¬ė acẖinṯā, Gẖar mėrā ih nā¬ik hamārī, Ih āmar ham gur kī¬ė ḏarbārī.

Whatever I resolve, she (Maya) does not allow it to come to pass. She stands blocking the way of goodness and self-discipline. She wears many disguises, and assumes many forms, and she does not allow me to dwell in my own home. She forces me to wander around in different directions. She has become the mistress of my home, and she does not allow me to live in it. If I try, she fights with me. In the beginning, she was sent as a helper, but she has overwhelmed the nine continents, all places and interspaces. She has not spared even the river banks, the sacred shrines of pilgrimage, the Yogis and Sannyaasees, or those who tirelessly read the Simritees and study the Vedas. Wherever I sit, she sits there with me. She has imposed her power upon the whole world. Seeking meager protection, I am not protected from her. Tell me, O my friend: unto whom should I turn for protection? I heard of Akal Purkh’s Teachings, and so I have come to the True Guru. The Guru has implanted the spell of the It's Name, Akal Purkh, within me. And now, I dwell in the home of my own inner self; I sing the Glorious Praises of the Infinite God. I have met God, O Nanak, and I have become care-free. My home is now my own, and she is now my mistress. She is now my servant, and the Guru has made me intimate with the Akal Purkh. -----Guru Arjan, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 371

ਮਾਥੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਕੁਟੀ ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਕਰੂਰਿ ॥ਸਦਾ ਭੂਖੀ ਪਿਰੁ ਜਾਨੈ ਦੂਰਿ ॥ਐਸੀ ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀ ਇਕ ਰਾਮਿ ਉਪਾਈ ॥ਉਨਿ ਸਭੁ ਜਗੁ ਖਾਇਆ ਹਮ ਗੁਰਿ ਰਾਖੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਭਾਈ ॥ਪਾਇ ਠਗਉਲੀ ਸਭੁ ਜਗੁ ਜੋਹਿਆ ॥ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਮਹਾਦੇਉ ਮੋਹਿਆ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਲਗੇ ਸੇ ਸੋਹਿਆ ॥ਵਰਤ ਨੇਮ ਕਰਿ ਥਾਕੇ ਪੁਨਹਚਰਨਾ ॥ਤਟ ਤੀਰਥ ਭਵੇ ਸਭ ਧਰਨਾ ॥ਸੇ ਉਬਰੇ ਜਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸਰਨਾ ॥ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹਿ ਸਭੋ ਜਗੁ ਬਾਧਾ ॥ਹਉਮੈ ਪਚੈ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਮੂਰਾਖਾ ॥ਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਬਾਹ ਪਕਰਿ ਹਮ ਰਾਖਾ ॥

Māthai ṯarikutī ḏarisat karūr, Bolai ka¬uṛā jihbā kī fūṛ, Saḏā bẖūkẖī pir jānai ḏūr, Aisī isṯarī ik rām upā¬ī, Un sabẖ jag kẖā¬i¬ā ham gur rākẖė mėrė bẖā¬ī, Pā¬ė ṯẖag¬ulī sabẖ jag johi¬ā, Barahmā bisan mahāḏė¬o mohi¬ā, Gurmukẖ nām lagė sė sohi¬ā, varaṯ nėm kar thākė punharcẖanā, Ŧat ṯirath bẖavė sabẖ ḏẖarnā, Sė ubrė je saṯgur kī sarnā, Mā¬i¬ā mohi sabẖo jag bāḏẖā, Ha¬umai pacẖai manmukẖ mūrākẖā, Gur Nānak bāh pakar ham rākẖā.

A frown creases her forehead, and her look is evil. Her speech is bitter, and her tongue is rude. She is always hungry, and she believes her Husband to be far away. Such is Maya, the woman, which the One Akal Purkh has created. She is devouring the whole world, but the Guru has saved me, O my Siblings of Destiny. Administering her poisons, she has overcome the whole world. She has bewitched Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Only those Guru willed who are attuned to the Naam are blessed. Performing fasts, religious observances and atonements, the mortals have grown weary. They wander over the entire planet, on pilgrimages to the banks of sacred rivers. But they alone are saved, who seek the Sanctuary of the True Guru. Attached to Maya, the whole world is in bondage. The foolish self-willed are consumed by their egotism. Taking by the arm, Guru Nanak has saved us. -----Guru Arjan, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 394

Virinder S. Grewal
Williamston, MI
 

Amarpal

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Dear Virinder Ji and Khalsa Ji,

We have got another excellent post from Virinder Singh Ji, this time on Maya. I thank him for it.

Here is my contribution to the discussion. In this post I elaborate, sharing with you my understanding of Maya.

Maya is an attribute of individual’s information processing system which impede her or him to perceive the truth. Because of it, what the person perceives is away from truth and what is true, the person cannot perceive; this is Maya.

Maya is either due to the basic limitation of human mental capabilities, or due to the filters viz. beliefs, prejudices, biases, traditions, values, vices, attachments, desires, memories etc in the information processing system of the brains, which results in perceptions away from the truth. I elaborate on all of these below.

  • Maya results from the basic limitation of the human capabilities: The senses organs receive the information inputs from the outer world and send signals to the brain, which interprets it, and present to us in its own way. This interpretation may or may not be real; it is only the way used by the process of evolution to make the inputs received from senses meaningful to enable us to proceed with our life. When the information received is not true but adapted by brain to make it compatible with our comprehensive capabilities, it becomes away from truth. This way what we perceive is Maya.
To explain what I have said I take the case of colour perception by us. I elaborate the process below.

First I make a statement of fact: ‘Light is not visible to us, the object on which the light falls become visible to us’.

If light was visible to us then in the dark night the light going from sun to moon, passing through space would have illuminated the sky for us, since space is vacuum and we cannot see light, it passes through space without us being able to detect it; the object on which the light falls – moon – gets illuminated and we are able to see the moon.

Now I elaborate the process of perceiving what we call colour.
White light falls on the so called colored object (in fact white is not a colour at all, when light with too many frequencies impinges on retina, the vision system of we humans does not know how to help us to see all the different colour simultaneously. The vision system then fools us and show the some total of the light as white). Some of the frequencies of this white light are absorbed by the object and the others are reflected back from its surface. This reflected light is also not visible to us as it moves from the object to our eyes. The reflected light (reflected frequencies) enters our eyes and impinges on the retina. The retina system converts these light frequencies into electrical signals and passes on transmission system for further processing; note that there is no colour yet. This electrically coded signal from retina system reaches the part of the brains which is responsible for giving the ability to see. This part of the brain makes us perceive the frequencies of the light reflected from the object as colour. So one can see in this entire process, the word ‘colour’ has come only in the interpretation of the signal by our brain and not from the object we were seeing. This way we can see that colours are creation of our brain; colour may or may not be the real property of matter.

Here we all can note that what we see (colour) is not true and what is true we cannot perceive. This is Maya.

The way I have shown colour to be Maya, I can elaborate on other senses also. Maya pervades in all aspects our worldly life. All what the brain perceives and concludes are, in some measure, away from truth. The usefulness of colour perception in our day to day life cannot be denied, it is important; yet it is just a nature’s way to empower us only, it does not tell us the truth.

We enjoy seeing colourful items as it gives pleasure. The same is true for all other inputs received by the brain and the resulting perceptions.
Mentally imagined pleasures are also part of Maya as they are not real.

2. Maya results from the filter on the path of information processing within our brain.

(i) The senses receives lots of information from the outer world, but only the information in which we are interested gets registered, others are just discarded and not even processed; this is a filter. I you ponder over it, you will find that on this account itself our perception of the totality becomes partial and thus away from truth.

These filters select information that we receives from the outer world are constituted by the sum total of out desires, preferences in life and objects of gratification for the senses that one is seeking. These are the filters right at the input level where we receive information.

(ii) In the information processing system also there are filter which influence the way information is processed and conclusions are drawn. These filters are the sum total of our beliefs, values and their hierarchy, biases and prejudices, memory, attachments, likes and dislikes etc. All these prevent the information to be processed in a natural truthful way but deflect its processing towards the direction in which the person wants to see the results, after processing by the brain. This take the perception away from truth, the distortion that it creates is Maya.

It is for this reason Guru Sahib has asked us to rise above Maya and perceive the truth. The way to achieve this, as suggested by Guru Sahib in Siri Guru Granth Sahib is by getting over our desires, attachments, Ahamkara etc and by cultivating Godly virtues viz. compassion, kindness, mercy, truthfulness etc.

With this I close this post.

With love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh
 

vsgrewal48895

Writer
SPNer
Mar 12, 2009
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Michigan
Dear Amarpal Ji,

Thanks for your comments and explanation, which are real educational to me. Please keep on sharing your thoughts.

Cordially,

Virinder
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
Actually Amarpal ji

This is the 3rd time you have posted where you have helped me focus my thinking. Your thoughts on the nature of the soul were equally helpful.
 

Tejwant Singh

Mentor
Writer
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Jun 30, 2004
5,028
7,188
Henderson, NV.
Virinder ji and Amarpal ji,

Guru Fateh.

Thanks for the great write -ups about Maya.

Allow me to talk about the colours. My son Trimaan who is 13 is colour blind, so he can not distinguish between some colours. He needs help to do that.

Now taking that in the context of Gurmat Ideals, Gurbani gives us the tools how to become a true colour blind and only by doing that we can get rid of Maya. Trimaan seeks his family's help to find the colours but we need our Guru's for the same process to get rid of them.

Maya is like a nebulous veil with multiple small mirrors so all that there IS, becomes distorted.

Thanks to SGGS we can get rid of this veil of ignorance and seek the truth.

Tejwant Singh
 

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