Maya and Avidya

[Guest guest]

Please help me sort out the difference, if any, between ignorance, avidya, and

maya.

[Guest guest]

Chebard - PraNAms.

 

In simple terms - from jiiva's point it is referred to as avidya or ignorance -

or muula avidya - the primordial ignorance -it involves not knowing who I am.

 

From Iswara's point, it is referred to as maaya, the power of Iswara because of

which He can become many.

 

Maaya has two aspects - the aavaraNa shakti and vikshepa shakti - the covering

power and the projecting power. covering power involves covering the knowledge

or non-apprehension and projecting power involves misapprehension - From jiiva's

point I do not know myself is the first problem and I take myself something

other than myself is the second problem. Jiiva's ignorance can be removed by

knowledge of who I am. Thus for jnaani by the knowledge of who I am, his

projection of what he thinks about the world or his misapprehensions about the

world will go away - However, creation at Iswara level remains - it is

understood as vibhuuti of the Lord.

 

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

 

--- On Mon, 12/1/08, chebard <chris.hebard wrote:

 

Please help me sort out the difference, if any, between ignorance, avidya, and

maya.

[Guest guest]

Hari OM~

Pranams Chebard ji,

 

There is one interesting Sruti statement that says `Mayasca

Avidyasca svayameva bhavati' – both Maya and Avidya are none but

same. Avidya is the product of Maya. Maya is usually translated as

Prakrti or illusion. The primal Nescience or ignorance is Avidya.

Maya is one while Avidya exists in multitude. Maya is the cause and

Avidya is its effect. Advaita Vedanta s to what is called

the `Sat-Karana-Vada' according to which there is no difference what-

so-ever between the cause and the effect. In the real sense cause is

non-different from its effect. What appears to be dual in terms of

cause and effect is only an apprearance when the reality is one

without change, which is Brahman. Maya is depicted as the primal

seed out of which is borne the large tree that bears many such

seeds. Seed'ness of all the diverse seeds in the tree is identical

with the seed which is the cause for the tree itself. Such is Maya

and Avidya. Maya is illusion and Avidya is indescribable. That which

is illusory is inexplicable. Maya is embodies Isvara and remains

under his control. Isvara animates his own Maya; an entity made up

of three gunas in equilibrium. Maya animates to distort the

equilibrium of the three gunas that reverberates into the plurality

of Avidya as its effect. Consciousness conditioned by the plurality

of Avidya accounts for the apparent existence of Jivas. Thus both

Isvara and Jiva apprearances are due to the adjunct of Maya and

Avidya respectively. Sruti makes a prompt note on this to say `Jiva-

Isa bedaH AbhasaH' – the difference between Isvara and Jiva is only

an appearance and not the reality; to imply the fact that what

exists as Reality exists as pure existence alone without duality.

It is important that we understand the thin line of conceptual

difference in the functional modes of operation between Maya and

Avidya. Please supplement the above views with those shared by Shri

Sadananda ji for better understanding.

 

With Narayana Smrti,

Devanathan. J

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " antharyami_in " <sathvatha wrote:

>

> Hari OM~

> Pranams Chebard ji,

>

> Maya is embodies Isvara and remains under his control. Isvara

> animates his own Maya; an entity made up

> of three gunas in equilibrium. Maya animates to distort the

> equilibrium of the three gunas that reverberates into the plurality

> of Avidya as its effect. Sruti makes a prompt note on this to say

`Jiva-

> Isa bedaH AbhasaH' – the difference between Isvara and Jiva is

only

> an appearance and not the reality;

>

> With Narayana Smrti,

> Devanathan. J

>

 

Pranams Devanathan Ji and Sada Ji

 

So far this in line with my understanding - have few questions though!

1. I thought Iswara is also a product of Maya - if there no Maya then

there is no Iswara.

2. So far in my understanding - the animation of the equilibrium

produces the vibration - which in turn produces the space-time continuum

and all the manifestation - the vibration and the cosmic dance there by

is Maya - the moment the total vibrations stop (like when every being is

a realized soul) - Maya ceases and there will be no Iswara.

3. The Non-Dual Brahman causes the animation - Hence creates this Maya

4. I still can't understand why the animation produced.

 

Based on your post, I still seem to have some gaps in understanding of

this advaitic model.

 

Thanks

 

Sudesh

[Guest guest]

From : H.N.Sreenivasa Murthy

Pranams to all.

 

advaitin , " antharyami_in " <sathvatha wrote:

 

Dear Sri Devanathan,

 

You have thus stated in your posting :

" Avidya is the product of Maya. Maya is usually translated

as Prakrti or illusion. The primal Nescience or ignorance is Avidya.

Maya is one while Avidya exists in multitude. Maya is the cause and

Avidya is its effect. "

How do you know that the above statements are TRUE?Or are

they merely dogmas which have to be accepted blindly just

because they have been stated from a very long time?

 

If what you have stated is a fact, how can I verify those

facts within my life ? What are the instruments to be used

for verification? What is the methodology?

 

I request you kindly to elucidate the above.I will be

owing a deep debt of gratitude to you because you will

be clearing my doubts which are there from years.

Thanking you,

 

With warm and respectful regards,

Sreenivasa Murthy

[Guest guest]

Sudheshji - PraNAms

 

First the logical absurdities arise in the cause-effect relations which are in

the realm of maayaa itself - as they are within the time concept.

 

avidya/maayaa is anaadi - no beginning - and therefore even Iswara and jiiva

have no beginning. It is like asking what is first - seed or tree. In all these

cases the best answer is 'anirvacaniiyam' since one is asking a question within

the realm of intellect that which is beyond the intellect.

 

Iswara is Brahman identified with maayaa which is beginning less. Iswara is in

potential form during yoga nidra and get manifested with as the beginning of a

desire to create arises due to the pressure of SamaShTi vaasanaas that are in

potential form - similar to how jiiva wakes up with the pressure of vaasanaas

that want to manifest from potential to grosser form. Hence the desire to create

- sa kaamayata - arises. That it the beginning of Iswara getting from yoganidra.

Otherwise since maayaa is anaadi the locus for maayaa, Iswara is also anaadi.

Ignorance is anaadi and locus for ignorance, jiiva is also anaadi - Hence

Krishna's statement

natvevaaham ... there was never a time I was not there, or you or these kings in

front of us... declaring beginning less of jiiva and Iswara. All vibrations are

within maayaa only or due to maayaa only.

 

 

Hari Om!

Sadanadna

 

 

 

--- On Tue, 12/2/08, Sudesh Pillutla <sudeshpillutla wrote:

 

 

So far this in line with my understanding - have few questions though!

1. I thought Iswara is also a product of Maya - if there no Maya then

there is no Iswara.

2. So far in my understanding - the animation of the equilibrium

produces the vibration - which in turn produces the space-time continuum

and all the manifestation - the vibration and the cosmic dance there by

is Maya - the moment the total vibrations stop (like when every being is

a realized soul) - Maya ceases and there will be no Iswara.

3. The Non-Dual Brahman causes the animation - Hence creates this Maya

4. I still can't understand why the animation produced.

 

Based on your post, I still seem to have some gaps in understanding of

this advaitic model.

 

Thanks

 

Sudesh