Maya is a very important concept of Indian philosophy. It is considered the mysterious power of appearance, concealment and misperception which prevents us from understanding reality as it is. It is called Yoga Maya because it is the divine power of manifestation where a single reality gets expressed in many different forms. In verse 14 of chapter 7 of the Bhagavad Geeta Lord Krishna talks of Maya having been constituted of three Gunas or temperaments, Sattva or purity, Rajas or activity and Tamas or inertia. These Gunas are the changing evolutes of nature. Maya is not an illusion, but it is the veil which covers reality through different changing designs and patterns. Patanjali has used the word Avidya, the fundamental ignorance as the root cause of suffering. Due to this Avidya, one is not able to see reality as it is.In other words, we can say that Avidya is the mistaken identity.

 

In his Yoga Sutras Patanjali talks of five Kleshas or afflictions named Avidya, Asmita, Raga, Dvesha and Abhinivesha. These five fold afflictions are ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion and fear of death. These afflictions impact human experiences in such a way that human eyes see the distorted forms of real reality. We often identify ourselves with our body, thoughts,emotions, achievements, possessions and social status. Deeper understanding of our existence suggests that our core existence is pure consciousness. When we examine the concept of Maya from the psychological point of view, we find very interesting parallels. Our memories, beliefs, expectations and emotional conditioning determine our ability to view things. Due to this mental conditioning, we are not able to see things as they are. We add our own colours and value to things and see them in a distorted way. Cognitive biases and selective attention can hide reality from our perception.

 

According to neuroscience, the brain integrates sensory information, memories and predictions to construct our conscious experiences of the world. This is the reason that different persons hold distinct opinions about the same things. Emotional influence and fear cloud our perceptions and judgments. Self referential thinking is another example of how we draw our own wild conclusions. Indian philosophy has prescribed the method of self inquiry to decondition the mind and see reality as it is. Meditation helps in observing thoughts and emotions. The deep mental conditioning is dismantled by the meditative experience. Vairagya or detachment reduces excessive dependence on external conditions. Swadhyaya is self study and reflection. It leads to self awareness. As a result of meditation and detachment, Viveka or discriminative power develops. This discriminative wisdom helps in distinguishing between the permanent and impermanent. Veveka is the foundation of Sakshi Bhava or the sense of witnessing things as they are. Modern science is also of the opinion that what looks solid is really a vibrating mass of energy. The practical understanding of Maya will go a long way in improving our emotional regulation, relationship and our ability to respond rather than react. At the same time it will lead from fragmentation to integration and from individuality to collectivity.

 

 

(The writer is Former DG Police & CG, Homeguards, Maharashtra) ■