Maya

Introduction

The word “Maya” is very much a part of Hindi speakers’ active vocabulary. In day-to-day conversation, Hindus quite often use the Hindi phrase, sab moh-Maya he“worldly attachments bring enticement,” so much so that it has now become a cliché. The connotative meaning of this phrase is similar to the idea reflected in the Wordsworthian sonnet “The World Is Too Much with Us.” But we find a deeper meaning and interpretation of “Maya” in Hinduism. The Indian spiritual tradition informs us that the world is “Maya” (translated as “unreality” or “illusion” in English), and the Hindu scriptures lay emphasis on meditation and yoga as the effective means of moving beyond Maya. We can say that everything that is the part of this world is actually “Maya,” and when we come across with various constructs of the world, they function as doorways to a deeper reality. Whether we want to open the door or not, it depends upon the individual’s conscious decision, and only a few succeed in...