EE7.5 - Máyá and Mokśa

Máyá and Mokśa

Published in:
Bábá's Grace [a compilation]
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 19

Notes:

Summary of the talk given by Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti at Dharma Mahácakra held in Delhi on the 1st April 1968.

The Bábá’s Grace chapter “The Highest Devotee” is an abridged version of part of this discourse.

Today’s subject of discourse is Máyá and Mokśa. While speaking of Máyá, Lord Krśńa stresses the role of Máyá as being subordinate to Him, of Máyá being subservient to Ishvara. Only those who surrender themselves to His protection and guidance can overcome its bounds. Just as northbound travellers have to keep the pole star before their eyes, the passenger on the path of liberation from Máyá will have to keep the Lord as his or her goal. No other physical or mental compass is potent enough to guide one’s progress on this path, the path of Dharma. That is why it is said that there is only one Dharma – the way towards the Absolute.

What is Máyá? When Parama Puruśa (Cognitive Principle) desires to create something, the Shakti (force) required is known as Máyá. As such, one of the important characteristics of Máyá is its plasticity. It is equally clear that since Máyá is the force behind creation, if the Cognitive Principle had not desired to create anything, Máyá would have had no manifestation.

What is it that made Him create and thus make the manifestation of Máyá possible? The traditionally upheld cause and effect theory cannot answer this question, for the theory works and holds good only in the expressed world (i.e., the universe after it has been created). Thus once the seed and the tree are there as a part of the expressed world, the cause and effect theory recognizes the seed as the cause and the tree as the effect. But why was the seed or the tree originally created is a problem beyond its scope. Thus the cause and effect theory does not go beyond the expressed world. Now action which is beyond cause and effect is Liilá. To differentiate further, action which is governed by the cause and effect theory is known as Krd́a. All His creation is Liilá. Hence the manifestation of Máyá in the expressed world too is His Liilá.

Máyá influences the Jiiva in a number of ways. In His creation of the world, it is not the Citi Shakti that works. Instead, when ordered by Him, Máyá is the force which works. Here it is known as Visńu máyá.

When human beings experience His attraction from Antahkarana the feeling that something is to be done is generated in them. This is also done by Máyá and here it is known as Yogamáyá.

Apart from these forms, Mayá works in the Jiiva in two other forms – as Vishva máyá and as Ańumáyá. The fundamental stuff or matter used in His creation is Himself. In this process of creation, the Cognitive Principle crudifies Himself into this expressed world with the use of Viśńumáyá. But the essential element, the fundamental stuff is He. However, the Jiiva does not have the capacity to see Him in this creation. A person sees a pot as a pot, a forest as a forest and so on. This is the work of Vishvamáyá.

The sum of manifested Máyá in the universe is known as Máhámáyá. Now, it is observed that individuals can create the same things in their minds which are expressed outside and are seen in this expressed world. They can create a whole world in their minds, according to their fancy, and can enjoy pain or pleasure from it. Such vicarious living is found especially in persons of advanced age. This is the work of Ańumáyá.

It must never be overlooked however that despite its various forms, it is His Máyá, and that He is the Máyádhiśha. Therefore, if the individual starts a fight against Máyá, he or she cannot succeed. This is amply confirmed by the fact that you cannot effectively indulge in the suppression or repression of a certain Bháva for long, ultimately it overpowers you, because the more you try to suppress it the greater becomes the force with which it rebounds. If crude ideas come into your mind, you are not crude or bad – it is natural for them to come. But mental or psychic suppression or repression of these is not profitable for Sádhakas. Instead the correct and psychological approach to Máyá is to channelize it in the direction of the Absolute. For in this expressed world, you cannot overpower Máyá because she has a much greater power.

The central problem of reconciling the earthly duties of human beings with their progress towards the absolute thus crops up. The answer lies in the fact that this world is a relative truth. Human beings should not become slaves to it but should use it properly. However, as mind is engaged in it while using it, one may tend to crudify both in the mind and hence, in the body. This would hamper movement towards the Absolute which is the subtlest entity. The way out is to bring in the ideation of the Absolute. In other words, you should realize that while living in the expressed crude world, you do not work for the worldly things but for Him and with Him, because He is the essential element, the fundamental stuff out of which this world has been created.

On the other hand, those who run away from this material world to escape Máyá only deceive themselves. For with the help of Máyá, they will be led to Him, as Máyá has a close relation with the Absolute. What is this relation?

Máyá has three guńas – operative principles through which it works – viz., Sattvaguńa (sentient principle), Rajoguńa (mutative principle) and Tamoguńa (static principle). They work and lie in an ascending order on the road to the Absolute. The sentient principle (Sattvaguńa) has the capacity to take the sádhaka very near Him (Nirákára Brahma) by making the mind more and more subtle. But there still lies a gap between this point and Nirákára Brahma. This gap is known as Bháva or Bhávaságar. This gap can only be negotiated with the help of devotion. Thus we see that Máyá, channelized properly (in its sentient operating principle) can take the Sádhaka to a point very near Ishvara, from which point the domain of devotion begins. An interesting illustration is afforded by the following story. Three thieves, Mr. Sattvaguńa, Mr. Rajoguńa and Mr. Tamaguńa once waylaid a man with some money in a dark forest. Though all agreed to pocket the money, Mr. Tamoguńa also desired to murder the man. The other two, however, would not agree to this. Mr. Rajoguńa declared that the man be left alone to fend for himself in the dark. Mr. Sattvaguńa was more charitable. He led the unfortunate man all the way to the outskirts of the city. But after a point on the road he bade farewell and would not go into the lighted street for fear of being caught by the police. Therefore we arrive at the paradox that Mukti (i.e. freedom from the bondage of Máyá) can be achieved not by a fight against Máyá, but rather through its help.

Different kinds of Sádhakas inhabit this world. Some ardently desire Mukti, while others do not. The latter base their choice on the reasoning that by becoming one with Iishvara, the Sádhaka loses the pleasure of being next to Him and harbouring Him as one’s sole bháva in work, service and sacrifice. Little do they know that this very ideation of the Cosmic world leads them to Mukti, for their minds have Him as their object.

The best and highest Sádhaka and Bhakta, however, surrenders the decision on this question to Ishvara. The ideation that he or she embraces is: “I am at your disposal. It is up to you to plan what you like for me”. Theirs is the wisdom to foresee that complete surrender alone, which is the essence of the highest Bhakti, will enable them to sail the Bhávasagar unto His feet.