This world is an illusion of colors and sounds, a false display created by the tricks of Maya, the mind, and the senses.
concept
Maya (Illusion)
Across spiritual traditions, Maya refers to the concept of illusion or misperception. Many traditions converge in seeing Maya as a veil that obscures true reality. However, they diverge in their interpretations and perspectives on Maya's nature and implications.
2,866 quotes
Across traditions
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Quotes
Two birds, companions bound together, cling to the same tree. One of them eats the sweet fruit; the other looks on without eating.
द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते । तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभिचाकशीति ॥ १॥
The Lord dwells in the heart-region of all beings, Arjuna, causing all beings to revolve, as if mounted on a machine, by his power of maya.
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति | भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ||१८-६१||
Know then that Nature is māyā, and the wielder of māyā is the great Lord. This whole world is pervaded by beings that are parts of him.
मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान्मायिनं च महेश्वरम् । तस्यवयवभूतैस्तु व्याप्तं सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥ १०॥
The Blessed Lord said: They speak of an imperishable ashvattha tree with its root above and its branches below, whose leaves are the hymns; whoever knows it is a knower of the Vedas.
श्रीभगवानुवाच | ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् | छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ||१५-१||
For this divine māyā of mine, made of the guṇas, is hard to overcome. But those who take refuge in me alone cross beyond this māyā.
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया | मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ||७-१४||
Deluded by these three states made of the guṇas, this whole world fails to recognize me, who am beyond them and imperishable.
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् | मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ||७-१३||
Its form is not perceived here as such — neither its end, nor its beginning, nor its foundation. Having cut this firmly rooted ashvattha with the strong axe of non-attachment,
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा | अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलं असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ||१५-३||
Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the gunas, with the sense-objects as its buds; and below, its roots stretch forth, binding to action, in the world of humans.
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः | अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ||१५-२||
By the delusion of the pairs of opposites, arising from desire and aversion, Arjuna, all beings fall into confusion at their very birth, scorcher of foes.
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत | सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ||७-२७||
I am not revealed to everyone, veiled as I am by my yoga-māyā. This deluded world does not recognize me, the unborn and imperishable.
नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः | मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ||७-२५||
Your true nature is pure existence, consciousness, and bliss. The physical body is just an illusion.
Dwelling in the midst of ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, the fools go around wandering, like the blind led by the blind.
अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमानाः स्वयं धीराः पण्डितंमन्यमानाः । दन्द्रम्यमाणाः परियन्ति मूढा अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः ॥ ५॥
The wise, with the help of the Vedas and knowledge, having ascertained that the visible universe is an illusion, instantly realizes the Supreme Spirit as the sole existing independent essence.
When the mind is gone, everything disappears. The mind's activity creates all appearances. Due to ignorance or illusion in the mind, you perceive objects and trees as separate and real.
What will a person gain by knowing many scriptures? The most important thing is to know how to navigate the world. God alone is real, and everything else is an illusion.
If the devotee practices spiritual discipline to some extent, the guru clarifies everything for them. The disciple then understands the reality and unreality of things. Only God is real; the world is an illusion.
The primal nature is perishable; Hara, God, is the immortal and imperishable. The one God rules over both the perishable and the self. By meditating on him, by union with him, and by becoming that reality, there comes at last the ceasing of all the world's illusion.
क्षरं प्रधानममृताक्षरं हरः क्षरात्मानावीशते देव एकः । तस्याभिध्यानाद्योजनात्तत्त्व- भावात् भूयश्चान्ते विश्वमायानिवृत्तिः ॥ १०॥
The sacred meters, the sacrifices, the rites, the vows, the past and the future, and what the Vedas declare — from this the wielder of māyā creates this whole universe, and in it the other is confined by māyā.
छन्दांसि यज्ञाः क्रतवो व्रतानि भूतं भव्यं यच्च वेदा वदन्ति । अस्मान् मायी सृजते विश्वमेत- त्तस्मिंश्चान्यो मायया सन्निरुद्धः ॥ ९॥
Some wise ones, bewildered, speak of inherent nature as the cause, and others of time; but it is the greatness of God in the world by which this wheel of Brahman is made to turn.
स्वभावमेके कवयो वदन्ति कालं तथान्ये परिमुह्यमानाः । देवस्यैष महिमा तु लोके येनेदं भ्राम्यते ब्रह्मचक्रम् ॥ १॥