[ramakrishna] Digest Number 815

[Guest guest]

greetings,

 

>

> Vedic Verse

>

> All the sacred books, all holy sacrifice and ritual

> and prayers, all the

> words of the Vedas, and the whole past and present

> and future, come from

> the Spirit. With maya, His power of wonder, He made

> all things, and by

> maya the human soul is bound. Know, therefore, that

> nature is maya, but

> that God is the ruler of maya, and that all beings

> in our universe are

> parts of His infinite splendor.

>

> Krishna Yajur Veda, Svetasvatara Upanishads 4.9

>

>

>

 

 

I have a doubt here, Is the maya described in this

vedic verse is same as what Shanakara describes. In Dr

C.S shah's mail we see, Shankara explains maya as

" avidya-kalpita or fashioned by avidya " , one which

comes out of ignorance. ie illusion like in the case

of rope and snake analogy.

 

Where as maya described here is power of God, and even

in Bagavadgita we see, God explains his avatara as

 

" Though I am birthless, undecaying by nature, and the

Lord of beings, (still) by subjugating My Prakriti, I

take birth by means of My own Maya. 4.6 "

 

Any inputs are welcome,

 

sarvam vAsudevamayam jagath

Prashanth

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

-

" Prashanth Godrehal " <gprasha

<Ramakrishna >

Sunday, June 17, 2001 12:53

Re: [ramakrishna] Digest Number 815

 

 

>

> greetings,

>

> >

> > Vedic Verse

> >

> > All the sacred books, all holy sacrifice and ritual

> > and prayers, all the

> > words of the Vedas, and the whole past and present

> > and future, come from

> > the Spirit. With maya, His power of wonder, He made

> > all things, and by

> > maya the human soul is bound. Know, therefore, that

> > nature is maya, but

> > that God is the ruler of maya, and that all beings

> > in our universe are

> > parts of His infinite splendor.

> >

> > Krishna Yajur Veda, Svetasvatara Upanishads 4.9

> >

> >

> >

>

>

> I have a doubt here, Is the maya described in this

> vedic verse is same as what Shanakara describes. In Dr

> C.S shah's mail we see, Shankara explains maya as

> " avidya-kalpita or fashioned by avidya " , one which

> comes out of ignorance. ie illusion like in the case

> of rope and snake analogy.

>

> Where as maya described here is power of God, and even

> in Bagavadgita we see, God explains his avatara as

>

> " Though I am birthless, undecaying by nature, and the

> Lord of beings, (still) by subjugating My Prakriti, I

> take birth by means of My own Maya. 4.6 "

>

> Any inputs are welcome,

>

> sarvam vAsudevamayam jagath

> Prashanth

>

 

 

Let me attempt an answer:

 

Maya is Maya hence every illustration used to convey its meaning

is really going to fail in a serious way..

The idea of snake in the rope ..... it is a very

limited approach and does not do justice to the subject.

 

Maya as defined by Vivekananda as

'The world as it is --the state of affairs as they stand' is a very unique

and

different approach. Here greater room is given to

come to terms with Maya.

This second definition would go well towards the question

asked by Prashantha ---- the power that makes the

unmanifest(Brahman) 'appear as manifested' (the world)

then becomes a definition of maya.

(it can also be used to explain the rope and snake example

in the same terms --it makes the Rope (unmanifested) appear as

something else (snake).....

 

We have not really grasped what Maya is even when we say

'the state of affairs as it stands' -- because the next question

would be 'what is the state of affairs'? -- and we are back

to the drawing board.....how to come to grips with

'The world as it is .....the state of affairs as they stand'?

 

If we can understand Maya we have then indirectly

caught on to Brahman because the field of operation of Maya

is its ability to interact with Brahman - ('making it appear as the

universe')

If we succeed in understanding one we catch on to the other.

And Brahman does not like that.. : )

This is not mere mental gymnastics but a process that

exhibits limitations of our faculties to overstep their own boundaries.

 

jay