Origin Of Maya

Sri Shirdi Saibaba

Q: How has this maya originated? Who originated it? When did it arrive and from where? You said that pure consciousness is the basis and foundation of this world. You also said that the entire universe is nothing but pure consciousness. Whence sprang this maya?

I will let you know whence this maya came. The energy contained in pure consciousness is maya. Maya encloses pure consciousness. As how one cannot separate sugar and its sweetness, as one cannot separate the sun and its light; in the same way are the maya and Brahman. The sun and sunlight are two different words. But it is only by a conjoining of the both that the form of the sun visible to us. We distinguish and identify the sun by its form, the heat and the light it radiates. In the same way is maya and Brahman. But there is an end to maya and there is no end to pure consciousness. Pure consciousness has no beginning too. It just is. It is by maya or prakriti or nature that this whole world has formed.

Those who enter the cave of Self realization do not revert to ignorance. They take the form of that cave and dance in the joy of infinite bliss. The reason for all this eternal Brahman. Maya is his creation. The power of this maya is as the limitless ocean of unplumbed depths. The feeling 'I am such and such' is formed by maya. This is an untruth. Once maya casts its net of deception on us, we cannot know and recognize either the truth or untruth. Maya has two principal qualities. Know you what they are! What is visible and true is hidden by maya. What is not visible and is untrue is shown by maya.

All people are mesmerized by maya and are victims of illusion. A servant gets a dream that he has become a king. By this dream maya has shut out his true state of servanthood. In addition even if he was not the king, he fell into the illusion of believing himself to be the power of maya in the dream. In this manner, maya hides the true brahman and shows the world which is illusory. In truth, this world is not. It is only the universal consciousness which fills all. But due to maya we are able to see only this world. All things visible to us in this world are mere illusion but we are deluded into thinking that they are true by the power of maya. If we succeed in removing the covering of maya by discriminate knowledge, we will be able to see and realize brahman. You will then realize that you are the world. When the pollutants are removed from the water one gets pure water. In the same way, when the maya is removed pure consciousness is visible. You think of, pray for and seek the truth. Atman is the truth. I tell this to all. To recognize, realize the atman and to be immersed in it is the sole objective of spiritual endeavor.