Hari Om
~~~~~~~
Namaste,
When I think of this maya, I have settled in to the definiton given by a muni I have great respect for S.Shankaranarayanan, who follows Sri Vidya, and Devi tradition. He has a distinction between maya and avidya that just resenates with me.
This maya is this notion that the Infinite , ananta ( a= not + anta= end) without end, can be metered out as the many , as diversity. This I see every day on how it is incongruent with Brahman, that Bhuma , fullness.
This avidya is not the total absence of knowledge, but it is the incompleteness, the partial knowledge, incomplete awareness, that is the crux of this avidya.
So , from this, what I found to be maya, from my seat, is the following
[ please add to the list if you wish ] :
Nalpe sukham asti - 'finite things do not contain happiness' - rishi Sanatkumara
- That the earth is rotating at over 1,000 mph and I do not feel the wind in my face. That I cannot, though my senses, feel this movement.
- That I see the sun go from east to west, yet one tells me it is me that is moving.
- That I have grown over time but cannot point to any one moment to measure the difference.
- That my nature is Infinite, yet I would have never discovered this notion on my own, without the help of the Tradition as a guide.
- That people are genuinely good and satvic, yet will kill their own kind when provoked.
- That we love dogs and cats and invite them in our homes, but will eat a cow for supper.
- That we are compelled to pursue happiness, yet it is within us, and look elsewhere for this miracle.
- That many on this earth will kill in the name of the Lord
- That some on this good earth think that the 'truth' (satyam) can be measured with numbers and by science
- That we are Whole and Full yet we feel incomplete.
- That we acquire finite things to bring us joy and it only burdens us with more things to take care of.
- That one group believes their God is better then another's and that He/She is qualitatively and quantitively different.
- That we are told we have been here before, yet we cannot remember the occasion or the time spent
- That some think the veda's are book and should be read as such , as if it was written by man
- And - that the world is as we are... if one is having a good day , then all is well. If one is having a bad day, then the world is dark, yet the only thing that changed was the persons view of life.
pranams,
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