Student:
What is the relationship between Brahman and Maya. Does Maya comes from Brahman.
Is Maya the power of Brahman. Is Maya same as Ignorance.
If both Brahman and Maya exist independently then how can we justify Non Dual nature of Brahman.
Sri Prabhuji: Maya is dependant on Brahman. It is power of Brahman. Please listen to Viveka chudamani Class on Maya. I have given very detailed Analysis of Maya.
Student: Sir, I have gone through the Viveka Chudamani Class on Maya. It was remarkable and fantastic. You have explained the Science of Maya in detail with simple words and examples. I request a few clarifications on Maya:
Matter cannot be destroyed but only change. Avyakta to Vyakta to Avyakta… Formless to Form to Formless…Potential to Active to Potential…Maya to World to Maya…Deep Sleep to Waking or Dream to Deep Sleep State…But inbetween all this change in Matter (Maya). Consiousness (Brahman) is Never Changing and is always present.
Does Moksha end this Cycle? What happens to Maya when Self Realisation is reached?
Sri Prabhuji: Yes, moksha ends this cycle. Paratpara is atma. Atma is beyond Maya. Hence Maya is Mithya
Student: On Realising the Self, Atma position is clear, but What happens to Maya and World? Will Maya remain or destroyed?
Sri Prabhuji: Mithya means unreal. Maya is world in casual form. It is not destroyed but unreality is realised
Student: Also, for Jnani Purusha, who has realized his real nature, the world which is effect will be there. What happens to the cause, the Maya?
Sri Prabhuji: The world for Jnani is Atman only. Listen to my Aparokshanubhuti talks on Jnani – spiritual ignorance
Student: It seems Knowing Self/Brahman is simple than Understanding MAYA. Is Understanding MAYA essential for Moksha. Or Realizing the Self is enough?
Sri Prabhuji: Realizing the SELF is enough.
CAUSAL BODY (KARANA SHAREERA)
Student: Sthula Sharira (Gross Body) is having both Name & Form. Sukshma Sharira (Subtle Body) has Name only. Karana Sharira (Causal Body) has no Name & Form as it is Avyakta and only in potential form. Then why Karan Sharira is mentioned as Sharira (body) even if it has no name and form.\
Sri Prabhuji: Karana Sharira, Sakshma sharira, sthula sharira are the indicative names for teaching person in the waking state. To indicate to waker that the gross and subtle bodies are in potential form in deep sleep. Potential form is still a form yet to manifest. Seed has tree in potential form similarly causal body has potential form of gross and subtle.
Avyakta means not visible to sense organs. For example electron is not visible to sense organs. Avyakta doesn’t mean formless.
Student: In Avyakta State, there must not be any Sense Organs available to know
Sri Prabhuji: All teaching is to “waker”
Student 2: But still in all the three states, its always in the potential form only, no name and form. Why still call body in even in the waking state?
Sri Prabhuji: Potential form is a form.
Student 2: Is then Avyakta also a form? Because Avyakta means that is something which is in potenital state/form.
Sri Prabhuji: Avyakta is potential form. Avyakta means not visible to sense organs. Like electrons are not visible to eyes
Student2: ok, anything that is not visible to sense organs can be called as Avyakta, so that is the definition of Avyakta
Sri Prabhuji: Yes
Student: Brahman is ever present. Brahman is ever independent. Maya is always dependent on Brahman. Brahman with power of Maya is called Ishwara. Can Brahman exist without Maya. What is it called then in vedantic term?
Sri Prabhuji: Brahman exists without Maya. Brahman without Maya is called Para brahma/nirguna brahma, with Maya is called Saguna brahma/ishvara
Student: Brahman without Maya: ParaBrahman, Nirguna Brahman. Brahman with Maya: Ishvara, Saguna Brahman. Any Name for Brahman with effect of Maya, the World
Sri Prabhuji: Saguna Brahma/ishvara, hiranya garbha, virat
Student: Brahman without any association is ParaBrahman, Nirguna Brahman. Brahman associated with power of Maya, in Karana Sharira is Ishvara, Saguna Brahman. Brahman associated with effect of Maya, in Subtle form of Sukshma Sharira is Hiranyagarbha. Brahman associated with effect of Maya, in Gross form of Sthula Sharira is Virat.
Sri Prabhuji: Right
Student:
1. Is the sanskrit word Vyakti (Individual) offshoot of the word Vyakta (Manifestation) of Maya.
2. Is the Potential Energy available in Maya in Avyakta Form is same as Vasanas.In broad what is the position of Vasanas in Vyakta and Avyakta Form of Brahman.
(By Vasanas I mean deep rooted Samskaras)
Sri Prabhuji:
Avyakta (unmanifest) becomes vyakta (manifest) and vyakti (individual).
Maya is the collective causal state of universe. All vasanas of universe in causal form
Student: Maya is Anadi, has no Starting, and beyond time. Maya cannot be proven materially, but only inferred by its effect, through Veda as the Shabda Praman. World (Time, Space, and Causality) is the effect of Maya. Then How can we say Maya is the Cause of the world, when Causality itself is the effect of Maya. How can we say Maya was before, and World came after, when Time was not even born.
Sri Prabhuji: Shabda Pramana (Teachings of Vedanta) is the only way
Student: But does the “Cause & Effect” and “Sequence of Time” hold for Maya & World.
Doesn’t the explanation of, Maya as Cause and World as Effect, contradict the effect of World where only “Cause and Effect” and Time logic matters
Sri Prabhuji: No understanding of Maya as cause possible without Vedanta. Cause and effect in manifest domain is available for sense organs.
Student: Then can we derive there is no Cause and Beginning of world. Or rather Maya is beyond the consideration of space, time and cause.
Sri Prabhuji: No. We trust Vedanta which says Maya is cause.
Student: Then does the cycle of Maya=>world=>Maya still hold.
Sri Prabhuji: Yes
Student: Does this happen in any sequence of time
Sri Prabhuji: Time is concept of manifest
Student: Manifestation then dissolution then Manifestation, does it happen in time?
Sri Prabhuji: That is your view in manifestation.
Student: What i understand is that we are trying to understand Maya within the limitation of our mind. And Maya is beyond the understanding of mind. So any explanation will not hold within the logic of mind which is limited by Maya itself.
Sri Prabhuji: Yes
Student: Does a Jnani purusha knows Maya and cause of this world.
Sri Prabhuji: Only through Vedanta
Student: Do we need to believe the Vedanta words. Cannot be realized first hand. No other option.
Sri Prabhuji: Yes. There is no other science of consciousness other than Vedanta. You can listen to my talks on Shabdha Pramana as part of Viveka Chudamani. A created being has no way of knowing totality of creation. Vedanta is only way. That is the value of Vedanta
Student: Is liberation from Maya possible, without understanding Maya.
Sri Prabhuji: Maya cannot be understood. Effect of Maya can be felt. Liberation is through jnana by discrimination of Atma and Anatma. Recognizing Self is possible because you are Self
Student: Would like to understand the relationship between Brahman and Maya.
Initially Brahman was without Maya as Parabrahman.
Then Brahman is endowed with Illusionary power of Maya as Ishwara.
- Then is Maya different and seperate from Brahman.
Then how Brahman is Non-Dual. - If Maya is the Power of Brahman, then did this Illusionary power originated from Brahman.
- Does Maya veils Consiousness or
Consiousness is veiled Itself by Consiousness. - Can Darkness veil Light. Then how can Maya veil Consiousness.
Sri Prabhuji:
1). Maya is not separate nor one with Brahman. If you see snake on the rope, is snake separate or one with rope ?
2). I would call the power of creativity instead of illusion. It is power of Brahman. This answer is from transaction level. It is like a dream character asking question is dream power nidrashakti is power of sleeper. Sleeper does not even know dream and dream character. Water does not know wave.
3). Consciousness forgets itself to experience itself in the form of world. Similar to what happens in your dream. Dream character is you (sleeper) experiencing dream.
- Maya does not veil consciousness fully. Cloud cannot cover sun fully. Partial covering is possible. Brahman is sat-chit-Ananda. Do you exist ? If answer is yes – sat is not veiled. Are you aware ? If the answer is yes – chit is not veiled. Are you happy ? If the answer is sometimes I am happy, sometimes I am not. It means some times Ananda is veiled partially. Every happiness you experience is Ananda of Brahman reflected in your life. Instead of attributing it to Brahman you attribute it to objects – say happiness from cup of coffee. Problem is ignorance. How can infinite Brahman be veiled by Maya ???