Re: How powerful is Maya? How much free will do we really have?
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
Originally Posted by
yajvan
If I say wind (vāyu) is a powerful force, I can measure it before and after one resides as the jīvanmukti; yet this is not so with māyā. What may we be missing? Are we framing this māyā correctly ?praṇām
So , I have stirred the pot, and therefore responsible for giving some offer that may positively contribute to this overall conversation.
Within the advaita tradition , (and hence we look to ādi śaṅkara-ji's¹ knowledge) this māyā is tightly coupled to avidyā and is considered inter-changable in their use. This couplet of māyā/avidyā has 6 marks or defining charactistics :
- it is beginningless or anādi
- it is terminiated by proper knowledge or jñāna-nivartya
- it covers or veils or āvaraṇa & vikṣepa
- it is indefinible or anivacanīya
- it is the nature of existence or bhāvarūpa
- it is neither located in the individual or in brahman
If we look to ādi śaṅkara-ji's vivekacūḍāmaṇi¹ , 110th and 110 śloka-s addresses māyā and brings controversy to many a scholar/śāstṛi ( that would not be me). The 111th śloka informs us of the following as it discusses this māyā. It says,
It is neither real or unreal or both; it is neither undifferentiated nor different nor both; it neither has parts nor is it partless nor both. It is supremely wonderful and of an inexpressible form.
For me, it is quite important that it goes away with right knowledge... no different then a knot in a rope that goes away when it is un-tied.
As for my views on this matter, I see it from a different point of view... I am grounded in the notion of apohana śakti the energy that 'strips off' or makes things appear as different between objects. This is called out in this post if there is interest: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=82128&postcount=15
This informs me that māyā is the 'sport' of this śakti and is the view we find in kaśmir śaivism.
praṇām
words
ādi śaṅkara we know as śaṅkara bhagavatpāda.
- ādi = first, beginning
- śaṅkara = śaṃkara = causing prosperity , auspicious , beneficent. This is another name for śiva or rudra.
- bhagavatpāda = Bhagavat+pāda bhagavat is glorious , illustrious , divine + pāda or pādāḥ is added to proper names or titles in token of respect.
- With this case pāda it is then a ray or beam of light (considered as the foot of a heavenly body).
- vivekacūḍāmaṇi - viveka= विवेक = the ability to discriminate, discrimination + cūḍāmaṇi चूडामणि = a crown jewel , or the crown jewl of discrimination ( some say crest jewel); this is a most profound great work of ādi śaṅkara.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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