Viveka talks – exercise 11.
Remember: this article/chapter is tokenized, and you may buy it as “writer’s NFT!”
Points to consider
The eleventh chapter speaks about Maya’s structure, the illusion’s mistress. Let’s start this exercise with a quote and a reminder.
“Relying on the archimedean point of viveka, we found ourselves in the world of ideas. As we continue walking through it, don’t forget where you are. It is our home, the only place we truly live in. It is easy to forget that the material world is just an assumption and let ourselves be deluded with perceptual consensus. I can remind you about that fact from time to time, but it will not be enough if you continue forgetting.
Maya, the all-powerful Lady of the Illusion, abides in the same world of ideas and thoughts. If she gets you, your reality will be delusional. Your experiences, completely real to you, be it happiness or suffering of any kind, will be just a mirage in the distant clouds. Instead of life, you will live a dream. Or a nightmare, who knows.”
Illusion in psychology
Common sense tells us illusion is created on the level of perception, attention, and interpretation.
Perception: our senses are limited. They don’t carry over everything that is „out there“ in the real universe of ideas.
Attention is a potent tool for hiding, enhancing, or, again, distorting reality. Magicians and illusionists often use that to distract us, surprise us, and create an illusion. Soft spirituality and positive thinking often use attention to create specific experiences, thus inducing a change in our reality. Nevertheless, that “change” is a change from illusion to illusion.
Interpretation can be cultural, social, age-related, or gender-related, but mostly it is heavily dependent on individual beliefs. The interpretation part of an illusion is the cause of a lot of suffering in the world, especially in the field of politics and religion. Furthermore, the interpretation may directly influence attention and perception, making us blind to something we should see with healthy eyes or a sane mind.
Illusion in advaita
In advaita, Maya has been defined as having six main characteristics:
- Anadi – eternal, unborn, without the beginning
- Nivartya – mortal, possible to terminate
- Varana – it veils and hides
- Viksepa – it projects and creates
- Anirvacaniya – hard to define, slippery
- Bhavarpa – it is attractive, looks positive
Bhavarpa, looking positive and attractive, is an interesting quality that explains why people want it and why it is so hard to get rid of her. However, the good news is nivartya: Maya can die. It is possible to end her dominion and find an exit from her realm. Sometimes, that quality goes under the name of jnana-nivartya. That means the mortal enemy of Maya is – knowledge.
Illusion in Vivekachudamani
Vivekachudamani explains the three powers of Maya and connects them with three great elements – so-called gunas. Those elements are tamas, rajas, and sattva.
Tamas gives rise to the power of hiding and distorting.
Rajas gives rise to the power of projecting and creating.
Sattva gives rise to the power of replicating and reflecting.
The first two powers are easy to understand (from previous considerations), but the third one escaped the attention of most commentaries. Moreover, that power’s strength – and danger – is almost unheard of. In this exercise, we’ll focus on the third Maya’s power.
The usual spiritual interpretation of „sattva“ is good, desirable, and virtuous. But liberation is not about being good or virtuous; it’s about the truth. And Vivekachudamani is clear about that: sattva gives power to Maya. Enormous power because as purer the sattva gets, the reflection of reality is more accurate.
The differentiation between the idea of „true“ and „accurate“ can explain the catching trap of an illusion created by sattva.
Reality’s representation (reflection) can be accurate, but it is still just a representation. Shankara was stuck with the analogy of dreams, but we have VR. Virtual reality can be completely accurate and precise to the details, especially when quantum computers take over, possibly with neural interfaces, but it will never be true.
That understanding completes the all-attractive impact of Maya. Quote:
„First, in the tamas-attractive mode, Maya makes people inert, ignorant, and insecure by hiding or distorting the true reality from them. After that, there is not much work with keeping them imprisoned. They want to stay in because an unknown danger threatens them out there (whatever there is). Second, in the rajas-attractive mode, Maya makes people capable and ambitious. She promises them the fulfillment of their dreams. Who would say no to such an offer? So, people gladly stay in her arms. And third, in the sattva-attractive mode, she plays on the card of human virtues and nobility. She promises them divine rewards, heavens, goodness, and bliss in this life and an afterlife. It is hard, if not impossible, to see through such a pleasant deception.“
If you want liberation, all that must die. Tamas must die, rajas must die, and to the surprise of many, sattva must die too.
Questions for thinking
- Thinking about common sense and psychological explanation of illusion, in your opinion, in which field Maya is the strongest: perception, attention, or interpretation?
- Can you remember from previous exercises why advaita claims that Maya, illusion, is eternal, unborn?
- Do you truly understand the difference between the idea of “true” and “accurate”? Give one example (not present in the eleventh Chapter of “Viveka”).
- Can you give an example of a sattva-driven person deeply immersed in illusion?
It is your turn now. Write your thoughts, comments, or questions.
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