6 January 2015 - QA 11

Dear Gurudev, can you talk about Maya? How can we get rid of Maya?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Listen, the word “measure” in English comes from a Sanskrit root called “Maya”. Maya means that which can be measured. So, "all this is Maya", means "everything here can be measured".

Water can be measured, volume can be measured, temperature can be measured, distance can be measured, time can be measured. So everything here is time and space, both can be measured. So everything which is within time and space is all Maya, means that can be measured.

What cannot be measured? Joy cannot be measured; love cannot be measured; life cannot be measured. So that is why these are not called "Maya".

The Divine or God is bliss. Truth cannot be measured. Truth, consciousness, and bliss – this is what God is. What is God? "Sat" means Truth, "Chit" means consciousness, "Ananda" means bliss. God is Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss – these cannot be measured. And this is what you are! The nature of your spirit is bliss. Bliss cannot be measured, love cannot be measured, and that is what is "Not Maya".

You are drowned in Maya means you are drowned in small little things that are not permanent, because Maya means that which is always changing. Ever-changing events and things around you is what Maya is. And if you are drowned in the ever-changing, and you are not logged on to the non-changing, life is very unstable. Stability comes when you log on to something in you that is not changing, that remains the same, the same, the same. That is called as: getting out of Maya.