Lack of Vichara Causes Illusion

Sri Tandavaraya Swami

Disciple: 

O Master! who are like a typhoon in dispersing the clouds of maya!

- Of what nature is maya?

- Who are in its grip?

- How did it come into being?

- Why did it arise?

- Duality is inevitable if maya is separate from brahman.

- If separate, brahman itself is false (like maya)

Master:

- Because its nature is not determinable, maya is said to be inexpressible.

- They are in its grip who think 'this is mine, I am the body, the world is real.'

- O Son, none can ascertain how this mysterious illusion came into being.

- As to why it arose, it is because of the person's want of vichara (discerning enquiry).

- A magician's unseen powers remain unknown until hordes of illusory beings make their appearance in the show. Similarly the countless powers of brahman remain unknown but they are inferred only after the manifestation of the elements. 

The magician who stands on terra firma and the hordes (conjured up by him) are visible to the onlookers. But his wonderful genius for magic remains mysterious. So also the handiwork of illusion and the wielder of the illusion (brahman) are visible, but not the power of illusion. There are many powers distinct from Almighty brahman and the world.

The power is not apart from the weilder. The wielder of magic is real, but the apparitions (of magic) are not. Wise son, you can from this illustration ascertain the true nature of the Reality which is the weilder of illusion and which at the same time remains whole and as the Self. Thus, get clear of your doubts.