Questions tagged [maya]
Māyā is a spiritual concept connoting "that which exists, but is constantly changing and thus is spiritually unreal", and the "power or the principle that conceals the true character of spiritual reality.
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If we desire to live without desire will it be a desire?
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People live with many desires and karmas of good and bad come according to the kind of desire
A man who perform's his duties without any desire and submits the results to god will not ...
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How does hinduism translate reality and how is maya related?
How does hinduism translate reality? Is it maya - but I kind of thought that was deception-illusion? If maya is related to reality then an aspect of reality, unreality, fullness?
or maybe the ...
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Is Goddess Durga Brahman or Maya? Why is she termed as Brahman in some places and maya in others?
In the Harivamsa For instance, There occurs a stuti of Durga, where She is Praised as Brahman in chapter 3 of The Vishnu Parva, Verse 32.
But In the Same Harivamsa, in another stuti of hers in ...
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What exactly is Moola Avidya? Is it found in Adi Shankaracharya's Prasthana Traya Bhashya?
Shree Satchdanandendra Saraswati Swamiji claims that Moola Avidya is an add on concept which was later inserted into Advaita by Bhamati and Panchapadika Vivarana school.
He says it is not found in the ...
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What happens to the past desires of a person when they get enlightened?
Let's say a person who is a drug addict gets enlightened, then what will happen to his addiction? Will it just fade away just because he realized the drugs, the fun, and the one who enjoyed are part ...
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How can a man remove conceit?
How can a man eliminate conceit (too much pride in yourself and your abilities and importance) ? Like Arjun though a good person , also favorite of Krishna died while trekking the Himalaya because he ...
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Existence of Maya and God
Would God help only those who are Good or follow Dharma ( I know this is false as there are many stories in which he helped people who were under Maya ) still what I don't get is Why can't he help ...
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Statements In Hindu Texts Of Deliberately Mistaken Info
There are many places in Tantra excerpts I’ve read, Arthur Avalon and such, where Shiva tells Parvati that there is deliberate misleading info in Hindu texts. He says that stuff is put in there to ...
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Do most scholars agree that Shiva and Vishnu are both free from Maya?
Are Shiva and Vishnu, both of them, free from Maya, and do all or almost all schools of Hindu theology believe they are?
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How would Hindu theologians respond to this quote by Plato?
"The evil is that the soul of every man, when it is greatly pleased or
pained by anything, is compelled to believe that the object which
caused the emotion is very distinct and very true; but it ...
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The need for Maya
Why is there a need for Maya? Lord Krishna can run a world full of happiness without any Maya and sorrow? That would keep everyone happy. Wouldn't it? What is the justification given by Krishna for ...
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Why was Sita abandoned?
Initially this question might appear to be duplicate of this question but I have some separate doubts which aren't addressed in that question.
According to Vālmikī, Śrī Rāmacandra abandoned Sītā to ...
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You are not the mind nor the body you are the ALL, but at the same time to be the all you have to be the mind and body, this is a paradox?
We are not the body nor the mind, but at the same time we have to be the body and mind since we are the ALL, give me your explanation?
Maya/the illusion is when someone is bound and emprisoned by the ...
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How do Advatins classify Vaikuntha and other lokas according to their philosophy?
Do advaitins believe in Vaikuntha and other lokas and see them as eternal?
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The difference between the term ‘Maya’ used for Rakshasas and Brahman respectively
Maya, is a frequently used term across various scriptures with different connotations as below:-
When talking of Brahman, Maya is used in the context of jada Prakriti tattva as is stated in the ...
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What's the point in striving for moksha?
Whatever we see around us (manifestation and everything) is nothing but Brahman's play/leela. This is told in a few texts.
Brahmasutra 2.1.33
लोकवत्तु लीला कैवल्यम्।
lokavattu līlā kaivalyam।
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Is Mayasura a Daitya or Danava? What is the important difference between these two groups?
In Mahabharata, Mayasura is said to be the architect of the Daityas. But, in Bhagavata Purana Mayasura is called the Danava King (Canto 5, Chapter 24, Verse 28).
Surely there must be some significance ...
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What are Avidya, Maya and Ignorance according to Advaita?
According to Advaita, I want to get a clear understanding of the following terms:
Avidya
Maya
Ignorance
What are Avidya, Maya, and Ignorance? And what is the difference/relationship between them?
In ...
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Which scripture or advaita text says that the world of multiplicity is Brahman's lila?
Can someone provide verse from Shastras or Advaita texts where it says that this jagat with all its multiplicity is Brahman's lila?
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In Advaita, what is space, time and causation and how do they operate in relation to Brahman?
Firstly, i would be thankful if someone provides me a simple explanation of space, time and causation.
Secondly, Vivekananda said in his books, that Brahman, the Absolute has become the universe by ...
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explain with reference to bhagavat geeta "why humans feel "I"
With reference to chapter 7 sloka 6 and the commentary offerred by sri T.N.Sethumadhavan at esomskruthi.com (a) the three divinly components viz para, apara prakruthis and the soul are ...
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Advaita : Does Brahman remain actionless?
The Gita says Brahman/Atman is simply a witness and its the Maya or prakriti that acts. The Advaitins also holds the same belief.
If Maya is not a separate entity, i.e. if Brahman and Maya are ...
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Where does Maya reside?
Jiva is said to be covered in 5 sheath or koshas as you can read here. My question is - does Maya resides in or part of or is active (not sure what is better word) in any specific sheath?
When the ...
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Who is an “Adhishtathri”?
I have heard that Lord Shiva made Mother Parvati the “adhishtathri” of tantra sidhdhi.
I have also heard ISKCON Acharyas saying that Mother Parvati is the “adhistathri” of maya.
I would like an answer ...
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Is Maya superior to Brahman as per Advaita philosophy?
As per Advaita school of Vedanta; living entity is identical to supreme brahman.
Advaitins generally interpret 'Aham Brahmasmi' as 'I'm supreme Brahman'(please correct me if i'm wrong).
We are ...
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Understanding Maya or Prakriti as the Supreme Goddess. Or the difference between the two. Also why is a female goddess personified as Maya?
Gist: Understanding Prakriti or Maya. Is she Jada or chetana or both. Since supreme goddess is Maya, Maya is not necessarily a bad or scary thing as is commonly stated. this answer too speaks very ...
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What does the Vedic term ' MAYA ' truly mean? [duplicate]
I've heard that by the Vedic doctrine of MAYA, everything that we see around is an illusion. Thus, by this doctrine, the sun, the moon, the billions of stars in the night sky as well as mountains, ...
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Maya and Lord Shiva
From the lecture of HG Amogh Lila Prabhu
2:49-3:03
Quoting HG:
This tatva(Lord Shiva’s) is unaffected by Maya;it is neither beyond(transcending) Maya,neither is it polluted by Maya,it is pure.
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How do Advaitins justify that Nirguna Brahman is superior to Saguna Brahman?
How do Advaitins justify that Nirguna Brahman is the ultimate reality and that Saguna Brahman is illusory?
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Are there any verses related to the beginning of everything?
To elaborate on the question, I am assuming that in the beginning there was no Atma stuck in maya, is there any information on how the perfect Atma got stuck in Maya? Is my assumption wrong? To build ...
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Why do both Advaitins and Dvaithins believe that Mithyathva or Falsity of world cannot be true?
In the famous Advaitasiddhi vs Nyayamrutha debate.
Here in Chapter VIII, page 77
First Vyasatirtha poses the following dilemma.
Is the falsity of world true or false?
Then he proceeds to show how both ...
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How can consciousness and or Brahman be attached to maya?
I am confused by the whole mechanism of enlightenment or self realization. If one's self is actually the universal self or brahman which is beyond maya how can it get attached to it?
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Why is the concept of "Maya" logical?
We start with the basic assumption that Maya is all that we see, our perspective on reality, and that includes the jiva and the Prakriti as well.
Do the Upanishads provide any insights into why ...
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Among Vishnu's avataras was Krishna the only one to demonstrate the power of Maya?
I think all the Gopis thought Krishna was with them, through his Maya. But the Rama Avatara seems to have been earnest and straightforward throughout. As Vishnu, he should have been able to deploy ...
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What's the difference between a Māyāví & Siddha?
Śrī Kṛṣṇā at various instances in the Mahābhārata showed his various divine opulences in myriad ways. But, several people used the word Māyāví for dismissing it as something tāmasī or non-...
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How do Hindus perceive the world? [duplicate]
Every Hindu believes that he lives in his own world, created by his imagination (Mayan prism), and that all people in his world are just imaginary characters (illusion), in which there are no thoughts,...
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What is Māyā according to Śaṃkara Vedānta? What are its characteristics?
Besides Śaṃkara Vedānta, Kaśmīri Śaivism, which is another monist/advaita school of Hinduism too talks about Māyā. According to it, the basic definition of Māyā is -
मियते अनय इती माया।
Meaning: ...
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What is the difference between concepts of Maya in Hinduism and Buddhism?
How is the illusion in Buddhism and Hinduism different?An author writes <<The concepts of maya, avidya, vyayaharika-satya and paramarthika-satya, advaya, prajna, the unreality of the universe ...
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How does Upadhi create Bheda in Abheda Brahman according to Advaita?
TLDR: It's easy to explain confusing a rope to be a snake. But how is spatial dimension imagined? Does Brahman have spatial dimension. If yes how is that not Bheda? If no, then how is spatial ...
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Truth in Advaita
To which theory of truth does the advaita vedanta relate? The correspondance theory, the coherence theory, or another one?
If truth, in Adi Shankara's comprehension, is understood as the ...
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Shlokas about "time, pradhana, maya are eternal" from the third person's view
Srila Prabhupada wrote that the Supreme Lord, souls, prakriti and time are eternal in the Bhagavad Gita introduction. So, I need the shlokas which tell that "time is eternal", "pradhana ...
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Do mentally ill people get karmaphala?
Is thinking that the body is the self a form of mental illness/disorder ?
If a Psychopath(alex) killed people but in his mind he thought that he actually helped the victims from some mysterious ...
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Importance of penance in life
I have been once informed by my GURUDEV that everything one gains in life is because of some or the other penance performed earlier,i.e., we have enjoyments at the cost of losing something or being ...
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How do Advaitins interpret Bhagavad Gita 7.24?
Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita 7.24 states:
avyaktaḿ vyaktim āpannaḿ
manyante mām abuddhayaḥ
paraḿ bhāvam ajānanto
mamāvyayam anuttamam
Unintelligent men, who do not know Me ...
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Who is Ishwar according to Advait Vedanta - Lord Shiva or Vishnu?
Ishwar is Saguna Brahman who has created the world out of Maya according to Advait Vedanta. Although Ishwar too is illusion according to it, who is Ishwar actually - Lord Shiva or Vishnu as both can ...
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Are saguna deities part of Maya in Advaita?
There is the notion of Krama Mukti - going towards nirguna Brahman in stages - but once the veil of Maya is pierced, does Advaita say the deities are no longer real?
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Why does Brahman appear as Maya?
What is the need for Brahman to differentiate into Maya and allow sentient beings to exist and contemplate the meaning of itself. If Brahman is eternal consciousness, reality and bliss, doesn't it ...
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Are Siddhis Illusory and part of Maya?
When Buddha and some other ascended masters attained enlightenment were gifted with special abilities or Siddhis. Buddha was even able to recall his previous lives and his and other people's karmas ...
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Is any malevolent entity(like satan/iblis in abrahmic religions)present in Hinduism? [duplicate]
I would like to know if any malevolent entity is present in Hinduism which us equivalent to devil in abrahmic religions.If I remember correctly, once Srila Prabhupada compared Maya to satan/devil and ...
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Do the long term actions of Avataras survive the end of the respective Avataras?
There is a claim that Krishna has stated in the Mahabharata that he has illusioned Siva and others:
http://www.vrindavana.net/academy/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/visnu-sahasra-nama-baladeva-I.pdf
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